Why Gums Shrink After You Lose a Tooth

Whether your tooth extraction was a result of badly decayed tooth or trauma, both the surrounding bone and the soft tissue will begin to shrink if nothing is done to preserve the socket. This problematic because it can result in insufficient bone volume, which limits treatment options. With too little bone mass dental placement cannot occur, leaving the patient limited options when it comes to replacing the lost tooth. A partial denture would be the only option which can lead to even more bone loss because there is no opposing tooth structure for the tooth opposite to push against.

Filling the socket with a bone graft can not only help to preserve bone mass, but it gives a wider range of treatment options. If a dental implant is performed directly following the tooth extraction along with bone grafts can greatly improve the available stability for the implant.

Problems with Receding Gums

When the gum shrinks or recedes, it pulls away from the tooth, leaving pockets of space around the tooth base which exposes the lower regions of the tooth, including the root. This is a problem because it allows bacteria to pool in those empty pockets of space which can lead to tooth decay as plaque and tartar for against the tooth. If this is not treated by a gum graft it can lead to tooth infections requiring tooth canals to preserve the tooth and the underlying soft tissue structures. It can also lead to gum disease and even periodontitis, which is severe periodontal disease which can cause tooth loss.

All of these things lead to expensive restorative dentistry solutions with involved procedures and complicated recovery problems. Gum recession can be easily taken care of following a tooth extraction to avoid this situation. If you are interested in learning more contact us.