Your jawbone is an important feature that performs many essential tasks every single day. It provides support for your teeth and allows you to eat and speak properly. Additionally, your jawbone maintains your facial shape and defines your unique facial features.
Periodontitis, or advanced gum disease, is a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue.
Without treatment, it has the ability to diminish the bone that supports your teeth. Although a little bone loss might seem inconsequential, it can alter your facial bone structure and make you look older than you are! In fact, studies have shown that bone loss can add as much as 10 years to a person’s face!
Here are a few ways that tooth loss could affect your overall face shape:
Bite Relationship
As bone loss increases, the bite relationship deteriorates, creating a harsh appearance. The corners of your lips begin to droop, making you appear to be constantly scowling.
Chin Position
When the bite relationship deteriorates, the chin can rotate forward, giving patients a severely aged look.
Jowls
Advanced periodontal disease that leads to bone loss can also affect the attachments of the muscles of the lower jaw, making the tissue sag resulting in jowls.
Good Oral Hygiene is Both Part Treatment and Prevention!
Maintenance of your oral hygiene should be followed daily, even if your teeth and gums are healthy! During your checkup, our smile team evaluates the health of your teeth and gums, and makes recommendations for keeping gum disease at bay.
At Smile More, we are committed to helping you maintain your youthful smile for life! If you feel that you are experiencing any of these symptoms, we can help.
Just call (201)384-2425 or you can simply book with us ONLINE!!