CAN YOU LOSE MORE TEETH AS A RESULT OF JAW RESORPTION?
Jaw resorption is something that can happen after you have lost a tooth or teeth. Without the teeth, the structure of the jaw becomes compromised and may start to shrink.
While jaw resorption is not always a big problem if a person only loses one tooth, they may wonder what can happen if they don’t do anything to treat it. They wonder if they are putting more of their teeth at risk and if they will eventually lose more teeth.
What is Jaw Resorption?
In order to answer the question of whether jaw resorption puts you at risk for the loss of more teeth, you first have to understand how jaw resorption works. Your teeth put pressure on the bone of the jaw. This pressure leads to the growth of done tissue around the teeth and gums. If you lose a tooth or teeth, there is no pressure on the bone of the jaw. This means that there is no new bone growth and instead the=re is a loss of bone tissue. The loss of bone tissue is jaw resorption.
Why Other Teeth are at Risk
If you lose bone where you lost one tooth, you will also lose bone that can support the surrounding teeth. This is not something that happens overnight. It is a slow process that gradually reduces the amount of bone tissue supporting the natural teeth.
The loss of bone tissue for the surrounding teeth could cause the teeth that are left to become loose. Eventually they can cause the teeth to fall out because of the lack of none tissue to hold them in place.
The fact that jaw resorption can cause more teeth to fall out is one reason that it is important to treat it. Dental implants and bone grafts can help regenerate the growth of bone tissue. It is something to discuss with our dental professionals.
Contact our office to discuss this or any other oral health issue you have questions about.
