Getting dentures to replace your missing arch of teeth helps you smile with confidence and enjoy a variety of meals again, but it’s far from a perfect solution. Even with new teeth, your jawbone will slowly resorb and shrink, causing the rest of your face to sag. The result? You’ll look much older, and your confidence will likely take a hit as well. Fortunately, you don’t need extensive cosmetic surgery to regain a youthful appearance. Getting dental implants in Greenfield can be the perfect way to give your face a natural-looking lift.
Why Does the Face Sag After Tooth Loss?
Facial sagging occurs due to changes in the jawbone after you lose your natural teeth. Normally, tooth roots stimulate the bone to keep it healthy and strong. Once the roots are gone, the lack of stimulation tells the body that the bone isn’t needed anymore, so the minerals in that area will be resorbed so that they can be used elsewhere. The pressure that dentures exert while they rest on the gums will cause the underlying bone to shrink even faster. Without a jawbone to support them, your facial features will start to collapse.
Can Dental Implants Help with Facial Sagging?
Because dental implants provide the same stimulation as tooth roots, they can help you maintain a healthier jawbone. In other words, getting dentures that are attached to implants can help you avoid bone loss altogether, thus helping you maintain a more youthful appearance.
If your jawbone has already started to shrink, you’ll likely need to get a bone graft before you can receive dental implants. Bone grafting is the process of taking bone tissue from elsewhere in your body (or from a human or animal donor) and placing it where damage or resorption has occurred in order to encourage healing. After a few months, your jaw will once again have the bone density levels required to support a dental implant. Not only will your facial features have better support, but the implants will help prevent additional bone loss from happening in the future.
The Process of Getting Dental Implants
Before beginning a dental implant face lift in Greenfield, your dentist will evaluate the extent of bone loss by taking several three-dimensional X-rays of your jaw. If bone grafts are needed, your mouth will need about three or four months to fully recover from the surgery before implant placement can be performed. Other additional procedures might be required based on your needs.
If you’re unhappy with how tooth loss has affected your smile and the rest of your face, get in touch with your dentist today to schedule a consultation and learn what it will take to use implants to improve your appearance.
About the Practice
BGH Dental has been recognized as a Franklin Favorite for Best Dental Provider in the Greenfield Recorder every year since 2017. Providing award-winning dentistry means treating every patient like family and offering most dental services under one roof, including dental implant placement. If you’re interested in an implant facelift, visit our website or call our office at (413) 772-0842 to set up an appointment.