What Causes Bone Loss?
When you are referring to the bones in your jaw and around your face, the most common reason for bone loss is not replacing a missing tooth. When the empty space is left where you once had a natural tooth, the bone that supported the tooth no longer functions the same way when there is no tooth there. The bones all over the body rely on pressure and stimulation to know when to strengthen and when the bone is no longer needed. Instead, the body sends a signal to remove minerals and other resources to other parts of the body instead of the jaw bone.
Natural teeth use their roots to stimulate the dental bones and stay in place. After the jaw bone is compromised in one area, it will spread. In fact, research shows that people typically experience a 25% bone loss in the first year a tooth is missing. The specific bones that surround the teeth are called the alveolar bones and these bones are the ones that for the bridge you may have noticed when looking in your mouth. The alveolar bones can start to deteriorate both horizontally and vertically. This means that after losing one tooth the alveolar bone can start to weaken on either side and cause the teeth on either side to become compromised. If the alveolar bones weaken along the top, then all the teeth on that jaw are in jeopardy of falling out or moving.
The traditional way to replace missing teeth with dentures is not the ideal way to keep jaw bones healthy. The dentures do not apply the necessary pressure to keep the bones stimulated. In fact, traditional dentures only apply about 10% of the pressure that natural teeth do. If you need to replace the molars towards the back of your mouth on the upper jaw, the lack of pressure on the bones can lead to problems with the sinus cavity directly above those molars.
Missing teeth are not just a cosmetic issue, they are a problem that expands to the surrounding teeth, other jaw bones, and your overall health. In other words, if you have been delaying an appointment with the dentist to talk about replacing your teeth dental implants, it may be time to just make the appointment and start the treatment plan that the dentist prepares for you.
Other than leaving a missing tooth alone without replacing it, there are a few other major reasons why you may suffer dental bone loss. First, the bone loss could be a result of misaligned teeth. Again, using orthodontic treatment is not only a way to achieve a straight smile, but it is possible to adjust your teeth into equal alignment to create even pressure when biting or chewing. Second, if you have an oral infection that spreads to the bone, then the bacteria can lead to bone tissue loss. Infections can lead to tissue death, scar tissue, and less dense bones all over the body, not just the mouth. Finally, bone tissue can be lost to a tumor.