As we grow older, many of us seek ways to make our faces appear younger. So we try to keep our skin and jawlines firm and tight. But even with a diligent skincare routine, you might see a loose or saggy look in your face.
These effects can develop due to oral health causes that skincare cannot address. You can talk to your dentist to determine ways to treat this facial sagging and enhance your jaw’s aesthetic. Read on to find details about dental solutions that can prevent and amend a sagging appearance in the face.
What Causes Facial Sagging?
You likely associate a sagging look in your face with changes that occur in your skin as you age. While skin concerns may cause this issue, your face shape can also alter due to dental problems. Specifically, you might see shrinkage in the lower jaw, especially around the chin, which can make you look older as well as harder to complete oral functions.
This scenario occurs in the wake of tooth loss. You might lose one or more teeth if you suffer an accidental blow to the face or if you sustain significant dental damage to your smile. Advanced gum disease and tooth decay are common examples of causes of missing teeth.
Most people have a full set of teeth that feature roots that extend below the gumline to the jaw. The tooth root serves to stimulate the bone in the jaw, keeping it healthy. If you lose a tooth, the jaw no longer receives stimulation, and the bone may start to deteriorate as a result.
Losing this bone structure will reflect in your face shape. You can notice a smaller jaw size, causing the surrounding skin to sag and look baggy. You cannot stop this from happening on your own.
How Do I Stop Facial Sagging?
While you cannot stop facial sagging after tooth loss yourself, your dentist can help you preserve the structure of your jaw and face. You cannot always avoid an accident that may knock out a tooth. But you can prioritize preventative dental care to fend off common oral health issues that can hurt your teeth and make them fall out.
Practice good oral hygiene to remove plaque, excess bacteria, and other harmful residues that regularly accrue on your teeth. This will mean flossing every day and brushing your teeth at least twice a day.
Attend routine dental cleanings too to maximize oral cleanliness. And your dentist can also check for early signs of dental issues and intervene before they cause tooth loss.
If you do lose one or more teeth, seek prompt tooth replacement treatment from your dentist. A dental implant can replace missing teeth both above and below the gumline to stimulate the jaw once again and avoid jaw deterioration and therefore facial sagging.
However, if you already experienced too much jawbone loss, you might need further treatment to build structure in order to sustain an implant. Talk to your dentist to learn if you qualify for implant dentistry today.