Facial Collapse

Many people aren't aware that once all your teeth are extracted, your jawbone senses that it isn't needed any more, and your body begins to dissolve away the bone there. Your body decides to try and use the minerals there elsewhere in your body. This jaw shrinkage is called Facial Collapse, and it takes about ten or twenty years to occur.   If you wear dentures that aren't supported by dental implants, the bone loss will actually be accelerated. This is because of the pressure on the bone by the dentures.     On the left is an illustration of the effect of facial collapse on the patient's appearance. The distance between the nose and the mouth shrinks, as well as the distance between the mouth and the chin.   Because the upper and lower jaws are closer together, the lips begin to pucker more . All of this causes the face to appear more shriveled, with deep creases. The face definitely ages more rapidly. Remember, it only takes about ten years for these changes to become serious.   Dr. Guffey and Dr. Temp can explain to you the ramifications of facial collapse, as well as how to avoid it.

What to do when facial collapse has already occurred:

• Bone grafting - A surgeon can build up the bone you have lost using bone products or bone from your own hip.
• Denture/Implant Hybrid restoration - An implant hybrid uses dental restorative materials to replace lost bone and gum tissue. This will increase the dimensions between your jaws and help fill out your face.
• Precise placement of dental implants - When you don't have much bone left, it becomes even more important than usual to have the fixtures placed precisely, using careful three-dimensional x-ray techniques (CAT scans) combined with careful analysis and planning. Be sure you're in the hands of an experienced implant team.

Dental implants placed in your jawbone stimulate that bone the same way that teeth do, and prevent the progressive loss of bone.