Missing teeth can have a huge impact on your self-esteem and your confidence but luckily dentures were made so that people can enjoy a healthy diet and smile with confidence.
But what happens when those same dentures are causing your face to shrink? It can cause you to feel self-conscious and insecure when dentures are meant to bring your confidence right back up.
People are often scared to get dentures because of the dreaded denture face, whilst some bone loss is bound to happen, it’s not always excessive and can go largely unnoticed on denture wearers.
You may be wondering how, and this is what this article sets out to answer so that you can be your positive self again.
What Is ‘Denture Face’?
When you lose all of your natural teeth, your jawbone will start to shrink away to a lower level, this is most prominently seen in the lower half of your face.
When this happens your face begins to look older and more sunken and your cheeks will start to sag.
Denture face usually happens when dentures are ill fitting or aren’t assisted with dental implants which serve as anchors and in turn stimulate the jaw and protect the bone.
If the dentures are too short this can cause the lips and cheeks to fold inwards which creates a sunken look. If the dentures aren’t fitted properly then it will cause bone deterioration and also change the shape of your face.
How Can I Lessen The Effects Of ‘Denture Face’?
There are some ways that you can lessen the effects of having a sunken or sagging face due to dentures, but just be reminded that some sag is bound to happen if you have lost all of your teeth as your jaw isn’t getting enough support anymore.
Implant Dentures
Implant dentures are a great way to support your jawbone to stop it from shrinking away. These implants are the next best alternative to teeth and can sometimes be even better as you can have brand new teeth that haven’t had previous years of wear, like your old ones did.
Bone grafts are used to make sure there’s enough support for the implants and the advantage of using these implants is that they can be placed in the best possible position for support to your jaw, not just where your teeth happened to be.
Implant dentures will also allow you to eat a normal diet consisting of hard and soft foods which can promote bone growth too, it’s a win win!
Get Regular Check-Ups Of Your Dentures
Regular visits with your dentist to check how your dentures are and how they are fitting will mean they continue to fit perfectly.
A dentist will be able to spot any places where more support is needed so you won’t have to worry about your face shrinking in the meantime.
The dentist will also check for changes in the shape of your jaw, so that it can maintain its density for longer.
Supporting Dentures With Teeth
We talked about using implant dentures to support the jaw, but teeth are the best option if possible.
We know that it’s not possible for everybody which is why implant dentures are offered, but if you can help it, not removing all your teeth will mean you won’t experience as much bone loss.
This method is only viable if you’ve got healthy teeth remaining, if you have cracked or infected teeth then the best method is always to remove them.
You have an alternative in implant dentures, so there’s no reason to worry if you’ve already had your teeth pulled.
Make Sure The Dentures Are A Good Fit
Like we mentioned earlier, if your dentures aren’t a good fit then it can speed up the bone loss and quicken the sagging and sunken appearance of your face.
Whilst you’re biting down, you’re most likely biting down onto the jaw and irritating it and excessive pressure or irritation of the bone will mean your body will tend to remove it so it’s not irritated any more.
This is why good fitting dentures are essential to not having a sunken face, it’s worth paying the extra money to get them fitted by a credible professional.
Wear Your Dentures Less
Obviously the above options won’t be accessible to everyone, if you’re in a difficult financial situation and can’t afford to have your dentures fitted well or have implant dentures fitted then there is another alternative.
Albeit it’s not a very nice one but you could try wearing your dentures less, having to live without your dentures for most of the time can be quite upsetting and impact your quality of life.
But if you’re worried about the rate of your face shrinking and your jaw bone deteriorating it may be the only other option for you.
Eat Healthily
Eating a balanced diet will help to maintain your bones and strengthen them. Make sure to eat plenty of meats, fruits and vegetables and things that are rich in calcium to promote bone growth and healing.
This can almost be a catch-22 situation, if you have ill-fitting dentures it can make it hard to eat a balanced diet as hard foods will be difficult to eat.
You can always dry vitamins or supplements to try and get the nutrients you need if you’re finding it difficult to eat.
Final Thoughts
Many people are worried about getting dentures due to their face shrinking or being sunken, but hopefully after reading this article you feel a bit better about getting dentures.
As long as you go to a reputable dentist and get your dentures fitted well there should be no causes for concern.
If you’ve already had your dentures fitted and they were poorly fitted and starting to take a toll on your facial appearance, you now know some tips to try to stop the bone from deteriorating any more and save your facial features from becoming sunken.