Will dental implants affect your face structure?
As we age, our faces change. Fine lines develop and the elasticity of our skin weakens. Depending on the condition of your teeth, you may also experience significant changes to your facial structure over time, especially if your tooth loss has led to jawbone deterioration. Fortunately, with the acclaimed Esteem full-arch dental implant, you have options to restore your face shape and address concerns about your teeth and oral health.
A full-arch dental implant is a customized implant bridge designed to replace a full row of teeth. This permanent solution offers a variety of benefits to ensure you enjoy decades of beautiful smiles, full teeth function and enhanced self-esteem.
How does tooth loss affect your facial structure?
Tooth loss and dental issues are often thought of as only affecting our smiles or the appearance of our mouths. But severe tooth wear from grinding, tooth loss and jawbone deterioration can drastically alter your facial structure in unwanted ways. Your teeth and jawbone serve many essential functions, from chewing your food to physically supporting the weight of your face and head. Ultimately, your teeth and jaw bones significantly impact the shape of your lower face.
Think about people with no teeth who rely on dentures. When they aren’t wearing their dentures, they experience facial shrinkage — because their teeth aren’t just for biting and chewing, they also add structure to the lower portion of their faces and heads. As soon as they put in their dentures, their facial structure is restored.
Even if you aren’t missing all of your teeth, you might still notice a difference in your facial structure if only a few permanent teeth are gone. Maybe your mouth looks as if it’s collapsed in on itself a bit, making your lips appear less prominent and smaller. Or perhaps your cheeks seem sunken, or your jaw isn’t as pronounced.
Missing and damaged teeth can also lead to the deterioration of your jawbone. And without a strong jawbone to support necessary functions, your face is going to look considerably different. Many think that oral health only affects your mouth, but you’ll see the negative effects of skipping tooth brushing and flossing on your face every time you look in the mirror, whether you’re smiling or not.
Can dental implants restore my facial structure after tooth loss?
While dentures and other dental solutions temporarily restore your facial structure, your best long-term solution is Esteem’s full-arch dental implant. Not only does a full-arch dental implant provide you with a dazzling smile, it strengthens your jawbone and prevents further bone loss. Depending on your specific dental history, an implant may even stimulate new bone growth.
A stronger jawbone and restored facial shape aren’t the only benefits of the Esteem dental implant. The right candidates for our full-arch dental implant also experience a significant boost in self-esteem. Once again, these individuals will get to smile brightly in every picture and dine on their favorite, harder-to-eat foods. They can speak comfortably and clearly. Truly, a dental implant frees patients from the hassle, embarrassment and discomfort of failing oral health.
Most importantly, a full-arch dental implant increases a patient’s oral health. People come to us when they want to dedicate themselves to taking better care of their teeth and mouths. Once we’ve completed the procedure to place the implant, individuals invest more time and effort into their oral hygiene. With no rotting teeth or deteriorating jawbone, their oral health vastly improves and they feel better overall.
Learn more about Esteem full-arch dental implants
Tooth loss and jawbone deterioration are hard enough to manage without the additional hassle of worrying about your overall face shape. Fortunately, dental implants provide the support, functionality and aesthetic most patients want. Esteem implants look, feel and operate exactly like your natural teeth, giving you a second chance to live your life with a full set of healthy teeth.
Our network of highly trained doctors certified in our state-of-the-art procedure have worked with thousands of patients just like you. Whether you have a single missing tooth or multiple decaying teeth, our doctors can find you the best solution for your oral health concerns and diminishing facial shape. If you’re ready to speak with an Esteem doctor about restoring your face structure, find a practice near you and schedule a consultation now.