Dana L. Yeoman, DDS
Dentures and Implants
A Bone to Pick | Dana L. Yeoman, DDS
Site last published: 08/21/10
A Bone to Pick
09/08/08 17:54
Very
few people understand how their own bones work.
Most leave that job to a physician. Denture
patients, however, have a long list of problems
that are related to bone, but most don’t understand
it. Turning to the internet, it didn’t take long to
see why more people aren’t informed, particularly
about the bones in their mouths. All the
information is geared towards doctors. The big
fifty-cent words are so confusing that it would
take hours of researching to get the meaning of the
research. Therefore, I’m saving you the misery and
decoding the Latin for you, in hopes that you might
more thoroughly “know thyself.”
A
Bone to Pick
Very few people understand how their own bones work. Most leave that job to a physician. Denture patients, however, have a long list of problems that are related to bone, but most don’t understand it. Turning to the internet, it didn’t take long to see why more people aren’t informed, particularly about the bones in their mouths. All the information is geared towards doctors. The big fifty-cent words are so confusing that it would take hours of researching to get the meaning of the research. Therefore, I’m saving you the misery and decoding the Latin for you, in hopes that you might more thoroughly “know thyself.”
First of all, your bone is alive. There are canals running through the bone for the blood supply to keep it nourished. There is a common misconception that bone is dead like hair and fingernails. In truth, it is more like your skin, where dead cells are brushed off and new ones continually replace them. Bone is constantly changing, keeping the balance between new bone cells building up where old bone cells are tearing down. This is called “remodeling.”
When the teeth are taken out, the tear down process is faster than the rebuilding. This is called “resorption.” Resorption of the bone is the greatest within the first six month of extractions. After this, studies have shown that bone loss averages about 6/10 millimeter per year. This adds up to 3 mm in 5 years, and 6 mm in 10 years.
While 6 millimeters seem miniscule to the average person, it is easier to think of it as the width of a pencil. A denture wearer knows that a pencil width makes all the difference in the world for lip support, facial contour, the ability to eat comfortably, and most particularly self image. Resorption in the lower jaw is four times greater than in the upper jaw, which explains why most denture wearers experience problems with the lower denture first.
There are some factors that speed up bone loss. Some can’t be controlled, like age, gender, bone quality and how long teeth have been missing. Other factors are worth discussing with a physician, like Calcium deficiency, Calcium/Phosphorous imbalance, hormone disorders, use of medications and osteoporosis.
A common cause of bone loss is the uneven bite load from the denture teeth to the bone ridge. Denture quality, oral hygiene, denture wearing habits, and trauma from chewing can affect how fast the bone wears away. Studies show that people who wear their dentures to sleep at night have more bone loss compared to those who only wear them during their awake hours.
For the denture wearer, bone loss means denture edges that dig into the gums, food that gets under it, loss of control, instability, and sometimes a tingling, numb sensation from traumatized nerve bundles. In addition, there are TMJ disorders, or pain in the jaw joints. As the bone shrinks, the denture no longer adequately replaces the tissue that is missing. The jaw has to travel further to make the teeth meet, placing undue stress on the joints, and making the chin and nose come closer together. The shape of the face changes, but worse, can result in hearing loss, headaches and neuromuscular issues. These are only some of the problems I encounter in my practice each day.
It is easier for me to treat some of these bone loss challenges than it is to write about all of them. Quality, customized, and ergonomic dentures solve some of these problems, while others are life-long handicaps for the patient. With this in mind, realize that a denture wearer’s most precious resource is bone and will need it the rest of their lives. Call us and find out what we can do together to protect your greatest resource.
Dana L. Yeoman, D.D.S.
Second Smile Denture Care
3301 19th Street
Bakersfield, CA 93301
Tel: 661-325-1263
Very few people understand how their own bones work. Most leave that job to a physician. Denture patients, however, have a long list of problems that are related to bone, but most don’t understand it. Turning to the internet, it didn’t take long to see why more people aren’t informed, particularly about the bones in their mouths. All the information is geared towards doctors. The big fifty-cent words are so confusing that it would take hours of researching to get the meaning of the research. Therefore, I’m saving you the misery and decoding the Latin for you, in hopes that you might more thoroughly “know thyself.”
First of all, your bone is alive. There are canals running through the bone for the blood supply to keep it nourished. There is a common misconception that bone is dead like hair and fingernails. In truth, it is more like your skin, where dead cells are brushed off and new ones continually replace them. Bone is constantly changing, keeping the balance between new bone cells building up where old bone cells are tearing down. This is called “remodeling.”
When the teeth are taken out, the tear down process is faster than the rebuilding. This is called “resorption.” Resorption of the bone is the greatest within the first six month of extractions. After this, studies have shown that bone loss averages about 6/10 millimeter per year. This adds up to 3 mm in 5 years, and 6 mm in 10 years.
While 6 millimeters seem miniscule to the average person, it is easier to think of it as the width of a pencil. A denture wearer knows that a pencil width makes all the difference in the world for lip support, facial contour, the ability to eat comfortably, and most particularly self image. Resorption in the lower jaw is four times greater than in the upper jaw, which explains why most denture wearers experience problems with the lower denture first.
There are some factors that speed up bone loss. Some can’t be controlled, like age, gender, bone quality and how long teeth have been missing. Other factors are worth discussing with a physician, like Calcium deficiency, Calcium/Phosphorous imbalance, hormone disorders, use of medications and osteoporosis.
A common cause of bone loss is the uneven bite load from the denture teeth to the bone ridge. Denture quality, oral hygiene, denture wearing habits, and trauma from chewing can affect how fast the bone wears away. Studies show that people who wear their dentures to sleep at night have more bone loss compared to those who only wear them during their awake hours.
For the denture wearer, bone loss means denture edges that dig into the gums, food that gets under it, loss of control, instability, and sometimes a tingling, numb sensation from traumatized nerve bundles. In addition, there are TMJ disorders, or pain in the jaw joints. As the bone shrinks, the denture no longer adequately replaces the tissue that is missing. The jaw has to travel further to make the teeth meet, placing undue stress on the joints, and making the chin and nose come closer together. The shape of the face changes, but worse, can result in hearing loss, headaches and neuromuscular issues. These are only some of the problems I encounter in my practice each day.
It is easier for me to treat some of these bone loss challenges than it is to write about all of them. Quality, customized, and ergonomic dentures solve some of these problems, while others are life-long handicaps for the patient. With this in mind, realize that a denture wearer’s most precious resource is bone and will need it the rest of their lives. Call us and find out what we can do together to protect your greatest resource.
Dana L. Yeoman, D.D.S.
Second Smile Denture Care
3301 19th Street
Bakersfield, CA 93301
Tel: 661-325-1263