Your smile is the first thing people see. People are often proud of their appearance and smile. Therefore, the loss of bone in your teeth will have a huge impact on your self-esteem, speech, and self-confidence. Bone loss around teeth and jaw bones is much more common than you think. It may occur after tooth loss. More common is caused by “periodontal disease” or “gum disease”. The disease is caused by bacteria in dental plaque that gradually erode the bones that support the teeth.
Gum bone loss affects people of all ages, even those with very healthy teeth. However, this is more common with age. We will share how bone loss occurs, what causes bone loss in teeth and how it can be reduced through oral treatment and lifestyle changes.
Table of Contents
What is Bone Loss?
Bone loss is a consequence of tooth loss and chronic periodontitis. When the bones around the teeth and supporting the teeth shrink due to disease or infection, cementum loss will occur, leading to tooth loosening, movement, and spread. Bone loss can occur in anyone, regardless of age, which can lead to erosion of the ridge at the impaction. This is due to the gradual erosion of the mandible by bacteria, as well as the periodontal ligament connecting teeth and bones. When teeth fall out or need to be extracted, bone loss can also affect the mandible, which can also lead to jaw and gingival atrophy. Therefore, if you have gum disease or an accident leading to tooth loss, it is important to seek professional help as soon as possible.
Symptoms of Tooth Bone Loss
Bone loss of teeth occurs gradually. Here are many warning signs that may indicate that you are about to lose your teeth, including:
- Tooth looseness
- Gingival bleeding
- Halitosis
- Severe pain
- Increased sensitivity
- Gingival atrophy during brushing
- Gaps between teeth
If you have these symptoms, you are likely to have gum disease and bone loss. It is important that you seek professional advice and treatment because you may eventually lose your teeth.
Causes of Bone Loss in Teeth
Tooth loss is one of the main causes of bone resorption. However, some conditions also make bone resorption a risk factor.
Facial injury: trauma and stimulation of facial bone structure may lead to changes in the activity of bone cells responsible for bone decomposition and reconstruction.
Osteoporosis: another reason for the rapid loss of jaw bone is osteoporosis. This is a condition in which bones become brittle due to age and insufficient calcium intake. Its effects are systemic and usually affect the jaw.
Periodontal disease: this bacterium can erode the jawbone and periodontal ligaments of patients with advanced periodontal disease. As the damage continues to spread, the bacteria in the plaque in the periodontal pocket will loosen the teeth, or even worse, lead to tooth loss.
However, smoking is one of the biggest factors affecting periodontal disease or gum disease and gingival bone loss. A large amount of evidence clearly shows that smoking not only increases the susceptibility to gum disease and bone loss but also significantly increases the damage caused by disease. Smoking can also reduce the effectiveness of treatment.
Malnutrition and some serious diseases may also increase the susceptibility to bone loss.
Effects of Bone Resorption on Oral and Overall Health
In the early stage, the effect of bone resorption is hardly obvious. However, as the disease progresses, patients may lose the opportunity to replace their teeth due to the lack of bone structure to support their teeth. Without teeth to chew and bite food, your nutrition and speaking ability will be greatly affected in the long run.
Bone loss can also significantly change your appearance. Your facial muscles and skin contract, which can cause wrinkles and your lips to sag inward. Generally speaking, you will look older than your actual age.
Treatment of Tooth Bone Loss
The good news is that there are many ways to save teeth with bone loss before they all fall out.
Bone Transplantation
In the extreme case of complete bone loss, bone transplantation will help create enough bone surface for tooth transplantation. One of the main advantages of this treatment is that it not only replaces the bone but also stimulates the regeneration of the jaw. Your dentist will use different types of bone graft materials according to your needs.
Ridge Dilatation
Bone ridge augmentation is a surgical procedure to add grafts or synthetic bone tissue to restore the correct height and shape of the bone ridge.
Before deciding on a treatment plan, it is important to discuss with your dentist what is best for you.
Composite Bonding
Composite bonding can help reshape teeth by hiding black triangles or holes between teeth, which are caused by a bone loss in teeth. It can also help you completely change the appearance of your teeth and make you more confident.
How to Prevent Bone Loss
Bone loss is a natural phenomenon of aging. However, bone loss is caused by tooth loss, injury, and disease in the early stage of bone absorption, and we can prevent it before it worsens. Prevention is always better than cure! Good home dental care and oral hygiene, proper brushing (using a good electric toothbrush and using it correctly), flossing and/or interdental brushing, healthy diet and lifestyle, smoking cessation, or not drinking alcohol are all good habits to keep teeth and gums healthy.
Most people don’t know how to brush their teeth properly, so it’s always a good idea to have a dentist, dental hygienist, or other dental hygienist tell you the best way to care for your teeth and gums.
Bone Transplantation
For patients with severe bone loss due to long-term tooth loss, dentists recommend a procedure called bone grafting. It is a surgical procedure to replace bones, help the jaw regenerate new bone cells, and make them suitable for tooth replacement treatment. For patients with periodontal and other diseases, bone transplantation is usually consistent with the dental implantation procedure.
Lifestyle Changes
According to one study, bone resorption is a common symptom of osteoporosis and periodontal disease. They have the same risk factors, such as:
- Age
- genetics
- Hormonal changes
- smoke
- Calcium deficiency and vitamin D
Among all the risk factors, some can be controlled, such as smoking and vitamin deficiency. Avoid the risk of bone loss by limiting or stopping smoking, and take the vitamins you need. We may never stop aging, but we can always make healthy choices to slow down the effects of aging on our bodies.
Replaced Teeth
Losing your teeth will make your body think that you no longer need the bone attached to your teeth because chewing lacks stimulation. Dental implants are the only alternative to teeth that can help stimulate the stimulation of our natural roots. A titanium column is placed under the gingival line to help the bone cells reattach to it and rebuild the jaw. Support and extension
Treatment of Gingivitis
Gingivitis is the inflammation of the gums and the first stage of gum disease. At this stage, gum disease is still reversible, and the immune system has not been completely damaged. In order to prevent the further development of the injury, it is very important to remove the plaque that accumulates on the gingival line and causes inflammation.
For deep plaque, your dentist may perform a professional cleaning method called tooth cleaning and root planing. This is a process of cleaning the root surface under the gum with dental tools and polishing it to prevent bacteria from getting stuck.
Vitamin Rich Foods
Nourish your bones with a vitamin-rich diet to help keep your bones healthy and prevent osteoporosis even as you age. The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends the following foods and beverages to promote bone health:
- Dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.)
- Sardine and salmon with bones
- Spinach and other leafy vegetables
- Tomatoes and red pepper
- Papaya, pineapple, banana, and orange
Good Oral Hygiene
Brushing and flossing are signs of oral health. Make them part of your daily life to reduce the chance of periodontal disease and its effects, such as tooth and bone loss.
Summary
When it comes to the causes of bone loss in teeth, there are different factors that may lead to the disease. Tooth bone loss is associated with damage to the jawbone or root around the tooth. Bone has biological activity and sensitivity; As a result, they are vulnerable to conditions that have a negative impact on them. We have proposed many causes of cementum loss, as well as treatment and prevention methods. If you have serious gum disease, it is recommended that you see a periodontist who specializes in dental bone and soft tissue diseases.