Mar
What Causes Bone Loss in Teeth?
Is everyone telling you your face looks shrunken lately? Don’t take that lightly. Don’t dismiss it, believing it to be a sign of aging. The truth could be something else entirely: bone loss in your teeth. This can happen for a variety of reasons. Let’s explore the causes of bone loss in teeth and, more importantly, how you can prevent it.
What is Bone Loss in Teeth?
Bone loss in teeth, also known as dental bone loss, refers to the gradual loss of bone mass around your teeth. This especially takes place in your jawbone that supports them.
Symptoms of bone loss in teeth
Bone loss takes place gradually, and there can be the following symptoms:
1. Discomfort while chewing
2. Loose teeth
3. Facial structure collapse
4. Shifting teeth
5. Lips sinking inwards
6. Wrinkles in the mouth area
What Causes Bone Loss?
Some of the most frequent factors contributing to jawbone deterioration and loss are:
1. Tooth Extractions
Natural teeth have the tendency to support the growth of bone through activities like chewing and biting. When your tooth is extracted and not replaced, that portion of the jawline stops receiving the stimulation to maintain its density and begins to resorb. To minimize bone loss, it is crucial to replace a missing tooth with a dental implant or other restorative option as soon as possible after tooth extraction.
2. Gum Disease
Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, can cause bone loss in the teeth. Gum infections like gingivitis or soft tissue damage are the most common reasons behind the disease. To avoid gingivitis, you have to keep dental plaque under check since it is the most common form of tooth decay that gives rise to gingivitis. You can easily prevent the buildup of plaque by brushing and flossing daily. Plaque is only concerning when it hardens into a rough and porous substance known as tartar. It can get deposited above or below your gum line. When you leave it untreated, it might progress into serious gum disease, including periodontitis, which can ultimately lead to progressive bone loss.
3. Denture or Bridgework
Conventional dentures, resting solely on the gum tissue, fail to deliver the same degree of jawbone stimulation as natural teeth. This lack of stimulation can lead to boss loss gradually.
Over time, the dentures will start to become loose and ill-fitting. As time goes on, you could start to have problems chewing and eating right. To not end up in a situation like this, you can opt for bridge supported dentures where adjacent teeth offer adequate stimulation and support to save the bone. However, the part of the bridge that covers the gap does not stimulate the jawline, which can lead to bone loss in that area.
4. Trauma
When you knock out your tooth or damage it, jawbone loss may occur. Trauma could be caused due to jaw fracture, injury or cracked or chipped teeth. In cases of knocked out or broken teeth, the most effective means of preventing subsequent bone resorption is the immediate placement of a dental implant. The implants can mimic the natural root and stimulate the jawbone to prevent bone resorption in the area.
5. Misalignment
Bone loss can also occur from misalignment when teeth no longer support the direct stimulation. Issues like TMJ, lack of treatment, normal wear and tear or teeth eruption can cause misalignment. To avoid bone loss due to misalignment, seek proper orthodontic treatment and visit your dentist for routine checkups.
6. Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis weakens the jawbone, potentially leading to tooth loss due to reduced density in the jaw. This also increases the susceptibility to periodontal disease, making your jawbone weak.
How to Slow Down Bone Loss in Teeth?
As we age, it’s normal to experience some bone loss. However, it can also occur due to injury, tooth loss and disease. The good news is you can prevent boss loss before it gets worse. Here are some tips:
1. Replace your missing teeth
Loss of teeth, particularly due to the cessation of chewing forces, leads to a physiological signal indicating bone disuse. Consequently, timely replacement of missing teeth is essential to prevent the ensuing bone loss. In this case, you will need dental implants. These implants will offer the stimulation that natural tooth roots offer.
2. Gingivitis treatments
Gingivitis is a condition where your gums get inflamed. This is the first stage of gum disease. Gingivitis is reversible as during this stage the immune system has not yet fully compromised. To prevent the progression of this condition, it’s very important to get plaque buildup removed from the gumline that causes inflammation.
For deep-seated plaque, you need to go for cleaning methods like root planing and scaling.
3. Lifestyle changes
Make changes in your lifestyle. Reduce smoking. Take care of the vitamin deficiencies and hormonal imbalances.
Nourish your bones with a vitamin-rich diet. Here are a few things that you should include in your diet:
1. Dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese.
2. Salmon and sardines.
3. Papaya, bananas and oranges.
4. Tomatoes and red peppers.
5. Spinach and other green leafy vegetables.
Bottomline
There are many reasons why bone loss happens. If you’re having any of the problems we talked about in this post and want to know more, schedule a free consultation with Emergency Dental 365. We can take a look at your situation and suggest the right treatment for you.
