If you’ve been without teeth for a long time, you might wonder if dentures are still an option for you—especially if you’ve experienced changes in your jawbone. The good news is that in most cases, it’s still very much possible to restore your smile with dentures, even if you’ve gone years without your natural teeth! Here’s a little more about what happens to your jaw after extended periods of tooth loss, along with why dentures are still a viable option and how solutions like bone grafts and implant dentures exist to prevent further bone loss.
The Challenges of Jawbone Loss
When teeth are missing, the jaw naturally begins to shrink over time due to a lack of stimulation that’s normally received from your tooth roots. The most noticeable impact of this issue is the negative impact on your facial structure, and your jaw will appear to have shrunken. Of course, it’ll also alter how you eat, speak, and smile.
However, this can also affect the way that traditional dentures fit, but modern dentistry offers solutions. Your dentist can take precise measurements and impressions and use them to create custom dentures that work with your current bone structure, meaning that dentures are a viable option even if you’ve been without missing teeth for several years and bone loss has occurred.
Bone Grafting & Dental Implants Can Also Help
For patients with extensive bone loss, a bone graft may be recommended. This procedure involves adding bone material to areas where the jaw has shrunk, helping to rebuild a strong foundation for dentures. Bone grafting can improve the stability and comfort of traditional dentures, and it’s also an important step for patients who are considering dental implants down the road as part of their treatment.
Dental implant-supported dentures are another excellent choice for long-term tooth loss. This involves combining all the benefits of traditional dentures with the ingenuity of dental implants. The implants are surgically placed into the jawbone and act as artificial tooth roots, anchoring the denture restoration securely in place. In addition to preventing slipping, the implants help stimulate the jawbone, slowing or preventing altogether further bone loss. Not to mention, it makes eating and speaking much easier, as well as granting patients a considerable boost in confidence.
Even if you’ve been without your teeth for years, it’s not too late to restore your smile. Whether you choose dentures, undergo bone grafting, or opt for dental implants, solutions can be designed to fit your needs!
About the Practice
Our team here at D’Andrea and Pantera Family & Cosmetic Dentistry has proudly served the needs of patients in Hamden and the surrounding area for several years, offering a wide range of services, including dentures as well as dental implants. If you have any questions about the blog or you’d like to get in touch with us to begin restoring your smile, please reach out online or call today for more information. Telephone: (203) 288-0951.
