Facial Collapse

There is a piezoelectric signal that your teeth send to the jawbone. When the teeth are extracted, this signal is gone and your body, in the absence of this signal, begins to resorb that bone. Over a period of years, the jawbone will shrink until the patient is left a dental cripple - unable to retain a set of dentures, and facing great difficulty eating. Some people in this situation will shun events and will refuse to go out to eat. And understandably so - when your teeth will not stay in, it can be very embarrassing.

The models on the left show this progressive deterioration of the jaw. On the top, we have a jawbone with a full set of teeth. Soon after they are extracted, the bone begins to shrink and continues shrinking for the rest of the patient's life.

When the jawbone is like the bottom model, there is no way to make a set of complete dentures so that they will stay in place, because there is no bony ridge to grip. The dentures end up floating in the mouth.

These models show the bone loss that will occur over a ten-year period.

Here is a diagram of the changes as they are observed in the face. Notice how the upper lip sinks in, the height of the lower face decreases, and the face seems to shrivel and acquire extra wrinkles. The changes tend to make people look considerably older.

But the worst part of facial collapse is that people have great difficulty eating and may not be able to even wear a denture without pain or great discomfort.

Diagrams and models are from Dr. Carl Misch's Dental Implant Prosthetics, the most widely used dental implant text, and are used with permission.
 

Preventing and Treating Facial Collapse

Prevention is the best course, naturally. When the natural teeth are lost, placing dental implants to retain the denture will keep the body from resorbing the bone. But once the bone is lost, usually it can be replaced with bone grafting techniques.

Dr. Chal has assembled a team of the best professionals in the field to treat his dental implant patients. The surgeons he uses are all dual degree surgeons - they have both medical degrees and dental degrees. As such they have rare expertise that is especially helpful for patients who have been told they are not a candidate for implants. He has helped many patients who were previously told they are beyond hope. If you are a "dental cripple," give his office a call.

Dr. Chal is especially skilled in creating beautiful smiles. Whatever your course of treatment, he will make sure that you look your best.

Visit Dr. Chal's main web site and read the impressive patient testimonials, and see the photographs of the beautiful work that he does.