Treating Facial Collapse Fortunately, oral surgery can restore jawbone stability and eliminate issues with eating. Dental implants are an effective solution. However, when little bone is left, precision placement — using advanced imaging technology and virtual software to guide the procedure — is essential.
Yes, there is hope for correcting facial collapse. Grafting procedures can build up the jawbone, and after a healing period, a prosthodontist can place dental implants to keep the jawbone intact. The bone grafts and a new custom denture will lift your facial muscles and help reshape your face.
The Progression of Facial Collapse
When your teeth are missing, your body begins to resorb the bone that was used to support those teeth. Over the course of about 10-20 years the jawbone shrinks significantly. This condition is known as facial collapse.
Dental Implants prevent and even reverse facial collapse, restoring your normal facial appearance. They help revive missing bone mass in the jaw and fill the voids in your smile. It may seem like a small gap, but that space affects the fullness of your lips and alters your smile.
Dentures cannot prevent facial collapse because they only replace the visible portion of the tooth. Dental implants, however, are titanium root forms that are surgically placed into the jaw.
The best way to reverse facial collapse for most patients is to get the Face Lift Dentistry® Method. The source of facial collapse is directly related to the location of their jaw position and the Face Lift Dentistry® method idealizes the jaw position and reverses facial failure with support from inside the mouth.
A sunken face indicates your current dentures are not fitted properly. The most likely cause of this is the teeth in the denture being too short. It is important to spot a sunken face immediately as improperly fitted dentures can cause other dental problems like jaw deterioration over time.
Characterized by a shrunken or sunken look around the mouth, facial collapse results in excessive wrinkling in the lower portion of the face and a marked decrease in the facial stature.
The reason for facial collapse is the loss of teeth. When teeth are lost there is no need for the bone to stay around and support the teeth. The body thinks there is no longer a need for the bone and the bone will start to melt away. Patients with multiple missing teeth seem to have a “shriveled' facial appearance.
Those with a collapsed or uneven smile who want to achieve a more youthful appearance and a lifted smile are great candidates for aesthetic BOTOX injection treatment. In addition, non-surgical procedures can aid in making the lips appear less puckered and compressed, thus enhancing the smile and facial profile.
The short answer is yes, dentures can definitely change the shape of your face. But if you've been missing teeth or dealing with bad, ill-fitting dentures, the change may be for the better.
Most treatments for this condition involve some type of restoration. That may be porcelain veneers, crowns, bridges, or dental implants. At some point, you may need to have one or more of your restorations replaced due to normal wear and tear.
Dental implants can prevent the jaw from shrinking and collapsing. They cannot restore lost mass. However, bone grafting procedures, which are often necessary to improve dental implant candidacy, can restore the jaw to its proper shape and size, thereby giving a lift to the areas impacted by tooth loss.
But with missing teeth, your jawbone isn't able to support the structure of your face anymore. Your facial structure, which depends on a well formed healthy jawbone to support all your teeth, will eventually start collapsing. You will notice this as a sunken look to your face or a shorter face (than normal).
Left untreated, jawbone loss can result in issues with your remaining teeth, collapse or distortion of facial features, and a range of other concerns. The most common treatment for jawbone atrophy is a dental bone graft. If you are concerned about potential bone loss in your jaw, speak to your dentist right away.
OPTIONS: Facial volume can be restored with injectable fillers or your own fat. Unlike peels and superficial fillers for skin lines, reflation is a procedure that uses filler or fat deeper in the face to prop up the skin and recreate lost contours.
Left untreated, the bone in your jaw and around your teeth will continue to resorb, leading to more tooth loss, disease, and pain. There is good news! In most cases, dental bone loss can be stopped. And with expert periodontal care, you can actually regenerate bone and reverse bone loss.
Left untreated, jawbone loss can result in issues with your remaining teeth, collapse or distortion of facial features, and a range of other concerns. The most common treatment for jawbone atrophy is a dental bone graft. If you are concerned about potential bone loss in your jaw, speak to your dentist right away.
Treating Facial Collapse
Fortunately, oral surgery can restore jawbone stability and eliminate issues with eating. Dental implants are an effective solution. However, when little bone is left, precision placement — using advanced imaging technology and virtual software to guide the procedure — is essential.
Tom Cruise: Known for his “megawatt” smile, Tom Cruise is arguably the most famous celebrity to wear dentures. In his early career (remember The Outsiders?), his teeth were very crooked, and there was a pronounced gap between his two front teeth. He began wearing dentures in the early 2000s at the height of his fame.
Dentures are Not Inevitable for Everyone
However, although getting dentures is actually quite common, not everyone will have to have them. If your teeth last until the end of your life, there is no reason to get dentures. Of course, a major part of having your teeth last that long involves a good oral hygiene routine.
Smile Behavior
As bites collapse, the ability to smile becomes more difficult. Typically, the upper lip does not move the way it did when the upper arch had natural height. As the bite slowly closes down, the upper lip reveals less of the upper teeth and may, for many patients, show more of the lower teeth.