If you're a young adult who has multiple missing teeth, take steps now to protect your future oral health. Missing teeth changes the way your face looks over time. In many cases, you lose valuable bone tissue from your jaw bones. Ask your dentist about hybrid dentures.

Hybrid dentures consist of dental implants and removable teeth appliances. The dentures prevent bone loss in your jaws, as well as definition in your cheekbones, chin and eye sockets. Here's how tooth loss changes your face and jaws and why it's essential that you have hybrid dentures placed now.

Problem: You Age Prematurely

According to the International Congress of Implantologists, losing one or more teeth reduces the bone tissue inside your face and jaws. Teeth do several important things in your mouth. They help you chew food and speak properly, as well as keep the bones of your face and jaws healthy and strong. Bone cells need stimulation or a reason to grow and develop properly. If they don't receive stimulation from your teeth, the bone cells inside your jaw bones stop developing.

Bone loss generally occurs within a year of losing teeth. During this short time, the alveolar bone loses up to 25 percent of its natural height and width. Without the proper support of your teeth and bone tissues, the skin in your face loses shape and sags.

The bones in your eye sockets and cheeks lose definition because they shrink or sink. You may notice wrinkles around your eyes as well. Your upper eyelids look tired, as well as fatty from the loss of elasticity in your face. The skin of your forehead loses elasticity as well, which means you develop deep frown lines across this location.

You can stop the loss of your bone tissue and changes in your face with hybrid dentures.

Solution: Hybrid Dentures

Hybrid dentures play a critical role in protecting your face and jaws. The implant portion of the treatment stimulates new bone growth in your jaw bones because they give your bone cells a reason to grow and develop. Over time, the bone tissue gradually increases in height and width, which makes your face and jaws look fuller and younger.

The denture portion of your hybrid appliances prevent pain and inflammation in your jaw bones because they stabilize these tissues. You also feel less pain when you chew food or when you speak. 

If you spit when you talk or drool at night when you sleep because of your tooth loss, hybrid dentures can stop this embarrassing problems from happening to you. This is because teeth keep saliva contained inside your mouth and support the muscles of your jaws when you swallow.

When you're missing teeth, especially molars, saliva collects inside your inner cheeks because the muscles of your mouth lose strength and support. Your hybrid dentures function the same way as your natural teeth by strengthening the muscles of your jaws and inner cheeks. Your hybrid dentures can make you feel more comfortable about how you speak and sleep.

If you notice premature aging in your face because of tooth loss and want to reverse or stop it, schedule a private consultation with the dentist through resources like Bellingham Denture Clinic.