Facial Collapse: Prevention and Reversal of a Disfiguring Ailment

By Arthur Glosman DDS

As we progress through life, there may be many reasons for losing teeth and healthy gum tissue. Those with an otherwise perfect smile and good hygiene may receive a physical trauma of some type, while others may have not taken good care of their teeth or had the disadvantage of poor genetics from the start. Whatever the cause, for most people tooth loss becomes a part of life at one time or another and if not taken care of will lead to a more disfiguring and detrimental condition. That condition is facial collapse.

What is Facial Collapse?

Facial collapse describes the process in which a person’s facial bones begin to decay which, in time, will cause the area of the face surrounding that of the bone reduction to shrink or “collapse” and give a sunken in appearance. While the condition is most noticeable when occurring in a person who has been missing multiple or all of their teeth for many years, even one missing tooth can eventually lead to visible changes as when the bone that supported the now missing tooth decays, other teeth may begin to decay as well. 

I Have Missing Teeth. Can I Stop Facial Collapse?

While cosmetically filling a gap left by a missing tooth or teeth with bridges or partial dentures will restore your smile aesthetically, these options do nothing to prevent the eventual bone loss as they do not associate with the bone of the teeth they replace. That said, there is another option available which will prevent bone reduction. Dental implants are a type of tooth replacement procedure in which a post (the implant) is placed in the jaw to support a porcelain crown replacement tooth. These implanted teeth look and feel just like your original tooth did and, since they are custom-built for you, can be made to whatever color and shade is required to match your other teeth. Further, the implanted post serves to prevent the atrophy of the bone surrounding it in a phenomenon known as the piezoelectric effect. It is through this effect that the jawbone is protected from deterioration and you from facial collapse.

What Can Be Done If My Jawbone Has Already Begun Deteriorating?

This may complicate the issue some, but better to fix a problem late than never. The good news is that facial collapse can often be reversed through a combination of dental implants and, in more extreme bone loss cases, bone grafts. The fact is that dental implants can do more than fool the bone around them into thinking the original tooth is there; in the case where that tooth has been missing long enough for decay to have occurred, the use of an implant will inform your body that a tooth is there again and your bone will begin to rebuild around the implant. In a case where too much bone loss has occurred to make implantation possible, an option may be bone grafting followed by an implant. By adding bone to the area, you return the stability necessary for tooth (or in this case, implant) support and upon healing an implant may be placed and like magic you have reversed a process that could have destroyed the look and function of your face.

Dr. Glosman DDS is a practicing aesthetic and reconstructive dentist located in Beverly Hills California. You can read more about him in the Summer 2009 Cosmetic Dentist Review at Dr Arthur Glosman Featured Cosmetic Dentist Review or visit his website at www.arthurglosmandds.com