Can Dental Implants Improve My Jaw Alignment?
Dental implants are an effective option to prevent or correct bad jaw alignment when used as a replacement for missing teeth.
In addition to bad jaw alignment, missing teeth can also cause:
- Bite issues
- Loss of bone mass
- Uneven wear
- Increased tooth decay
Dental implants offer a permanent, natural-looking solution to the gaps in your smile and can help to protect your jaw alignment and overall oral health. To understand how, we’ve laid out what causes jaw misalignment, how to know if your jaw is out of alignment, and what you can do about it.
What Causes Bad Jaw Alignment and Bone Loss?
Misalignment of the jaw can occur because of several factors, some of which are preventable and some of which are not.
Causes of bad jaw alignment include:
- Genetics
- Injury
- Age
- Poorly fitted dental attachments
- Grinding your teeth
- Biting your nails
Genetics is one of the biggest factors in determining the alignment of your jaw. If you’re wondering “why is my jaw not aligned?” and you notice that your parents also suffer from a misaligned jaw, you may have your answer. How your teeth grow as a child is also important; misalignment can be caused by uneven growth or from losing your baby teeth too early.
Other causes for misaligned jaws occur as a result of injury, behavior, or age. Facial injuries due to sports or a fall can damage the teeth and jaws, causing issues with your alignment. Misalignment can also occur due to poorly-fitted dental attachments such as braces or crowns, grinding your teeth, or childhood bad habits such as sucking your thumb or biting your nails.
Bone loss in any part of the jaw can similarly be caused by any number of factors, including illness and infections, gum disease, injury, and tooth loss.
Missing Teeth and Jaw Alignment
Missing teeth, whether due to injury or decay, can have a profound impact on the alignment of your jaw. When you lose a tooth, the surrounding teeth may begin to shift into the open space. This phenomenon, called “dental drift” can lead to gaps or crowding.
Dental drift moves the teeth out of position in relation to the opposing teeth. This shift can alter your chewing pattern, result in uneven wear on the teeth, and, ultimately, throw your full jaw out of alignment.
Bone loss is also a concern with tooth loss. The jaw bone requires stimulation to remain healthy; this stimulation is typically provided through the roots of your teeth. Without those roots, the jaw bone may begin to atrophy, impacting your overall oral health and jaw alignment.
Untreated, both jaw misalignment and bone loss can affect the appearance and function of your smile. Dental implants, which replace your natural teeth with a secure, natural-looking alternative, can help to correct these issues and prevent further damage.
How to Know if Your Jaw is Out of Alignment
How do you know if your jaw is out of alignment? Symptoms typically include:
- Pain in the jaw, teeth, ear, or temple
- Difficulty chewing
- Jaw clicking or popping
- Headaches
- Earaches and tinnitus
- Increased gum disease or tooth decay
- Crowded or crooked teeth
- Obvious bite issues, such as an overbite, underbite, or open bite
- Neck pain and stiffness
Does Bone Loss Affect Your Jaw Alignment?
Yes, bone loss can affect the alignment of your jaw. Whether due to missing teeth or another concern, bone loss can significantly alter jaw alignment. Bone loss in the joints of your jaw can make it harder to bite normally; while your bottom jaw won’t dangle like a cartoon, it’s less likely to open and close smoothly and consistently.
Bone loss throughout the jaw can also affect your overall alignment. As your teeth shift from a weakening jaw, they may become suddenly at odds with each other. In these situations, your jaw may be forced to adapt, causing misalignment.
| Can you get dental implants with bone loss? Yes, dental implants may still be an option for you, even with bone loss. Call or text our team at (201) 477-2667 to schedule a consultation for dental implants in North Jersey. |
How Dental Implants Can Help Improve Jaw Alignment
Dental implants are an important strategy for improving jaw alignment for patients with missing teeth. These permanent tooth replacements, fitted onto titanium posts, fill in the space previously held by the missing tooth.
Dental implants, which are surgically inserted into the jaw bone, prevent the surrounding teeth from shifting into the open space and also provide necessary stimulation to maintain good bone density.
This not only restores the function of the teeth but helps to ward off the related concerns of misalignment and bone loss as well as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders or chronic pain that often result from misalignment of the jaw.
The Benefits of Dental Implants Beyond Jaw Alignment
While jaw alignment is an important reason to consider dental implants, these replacement teeth offer a number of other benefits as well. Dental implants can help prevent other serious oral health problems, such as gum disease, further tooth loss, and bite issues.
Some of the benefits of dental implants include:
- Improved speech
- Better chewing function
- Enhanced confidence
- More youthful facial appearance
Dental implants can be used to replace one tooth or a full smile. Unlike dentures, they’re permanent and held securely in place by a surgically-implanted titanium rod. They also reduce the risk of damage to the surrounding teeth—which can be a concern with alternative solutions like dental bridges.
Find Out if You Are a Candidate for Dental Implants
While dental implants offer an important solution to the problems of missing teeth and jaw misalignment, they’re not the best option in every situation.
Dental implants are surgically placed in the jaw bone. As with any surgical procedure, there are risks involved. Dental implants in particular require a healthy jawbone with enough bone mass to anchor securely, though bone grafting procedures can often help to improve your chances of dental implants. Oral health is another key factor in determining whether dental implants are right for you.
If you’re struggling with missing teeth or bad jaw alignment, you can reach out to the team at Bergen Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery to discuss whether dental implants are right for you. Our surgical experts offer one-on-one consultations to review your situation and help you understand all your options to improve your alignment and smile.
Bergen Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery has been providing expert oral care to the people of Bergen County for more than 70 years, and we have four locations in Franklin Lakes, Hackensack, Ridgewood, and Westwood. To set up an appointment at any of our convenient Bergen County, NJ locations, call or text us at 201-477-2667 or request an appointment online.
Learn more about dental implants in North Jersey.
Dental Implant FAQ
During our consultations for bite alignment and jaw bone loss, we get a lot of questions. Below are some of the most commonly asked questions from our patients.
Will your jawbone deteriorate without a tooth?
Yes; over time, the lack of stimulation from a root will cause the jaw bone to deteriorate at the site of a missing tooth.
Do dental implants help the jawline?
Yes; because the titanium post of a dental implant stimulates the jaw bone (just like the roots of a normal tooth), it helps to ensure that the jaw remains healthy. This is important for the health of the surrounding teeth—and for your appearance too.
What if there is no jawbone for an implant?
Depending on the severity of your bone loss, bone grafting is an option for restoring some bone health and giving the implant enough security to take hold.
Can you rebuild bone density in the jaw?
Bone grafting is a technique that improves bone health and density. Bone grafting is often used in patients with dental implants to improve the implants’ chances of taking secure hold. Once implanted, the implant works to stimulate the jaw bone and help maintain good density.
Continue learning about dental implants:
