Learning to Manage Your Dental Problems

Can Dental Implants Lift Your Sagging Face After Tooth Loss?

6 May 2021 by Charlotte Beck

One of the most unfortunate side effects of losing teeth is facial sagging. This happens because of the natural jawbone deterioration that occurs after tooth loss. As the jawbone shrinks and loses depth, the muscles and skin that once relied on that bone for support begin to shrink. This can cause you to look older than you really are.

Fortunately, dental implants can address facial sagging. Even if your facial sagging has advanced quite far, you can reverse the effects with dental implants.

Your dentist will perform an x-ray to check bone availability

Facial sagging occurs after a patient has lost several teeth. When the body senses that teeth are no longer present in an area of the jawbone, it removes the bone that once held those teeth in place. This is so that your body can use the resources from that bone elsewhere in your body. Unfortunately, this removes the bone that supports your cheeks and causes them to sag.

But this issue can be corrected. First, your dentist will need to take x-rays of your jawbone to determine how much bone you have lost, and in which locations. This is necessary before bone grafting can be carried out.

Your dentist will place bone grafts to replace the lost bone

Once your dentist knows how much bone you have lost and from where, they can prepare some bone grafts to restore that lost bone structure. Those bone grafts could come from your own body, such as from your hip, or from a cadaver or animal. Some patients choose to take bone grafts from another source other than their body to avoid the need for more surgery.

Once ready, your dentist will place the bone grafts into your jawbone. After this procedure, you'll need to wait several months for your bone grafts to heal and integrate with your jawbone. But once, healed, the bone grafts will have restored much of the lost bone. This will lift your face, providing support for your muscles and skin.

Your dentist will place four to six dental implants to complete the procedure

If bone has been lost over a wide area, four to six dental implants will work best, especially when used with a denture, as this will replace a whole row of teeth as well as the bone that supported those teeth. Dental implants stimulate bone growth too, so once your dental implants have healed, your jawbone will have more depth and mass.

If facial sagging has affected your appearance, talk to a prosthodontist in your area. With their help, you can restore your lost bone and give your face the lift it needs.

For more information about dental implants, talk to a dentist.

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