tooth and bone loss - Pittsfield, MA

Missing teeth? Weakened jawbone?

jaw bone graphic Pittsfield, MA

what causes Tooth and Bone Loss?


dental patient eating Pittsfield, MA


Without properly aligned teeth an individual might not be able to chew correctly and this may affect their diet. With missing teeth, or no teeth altogether, chewing becomes very difficult or impossible. The diet then becomes restricted to soft, easily chewed foods. This kind of diet may not meet the nutrition needs of the body which can cause constipation, weight loss, arthritis, indigestion, and rheumatism.

Teeth are important to meeting the nutritional needs of the body. And without them, the health of the body may be severely impacted.

dental patient talking Pittsfield, MA


Teeth play a major part in speech. Some letter sounds such as szdxnth, and sh are made with tongue-to-tooth contact. Without teeth, these sounds will not be able to be made easily and may result in a lisp. Lisping can be an embarrassing condition and may make you hard to understand clearly.


jaw bone loss graphic Pittsfield, MA

Bone Loss in the Jaw

Teeth do more than just chew our food and help us speak. They actually serve to stimulate the bone in the jaw. Each time you chew, the teeth stimulate the bone. Without this natural stimulation, the alveolar bone – the portion of the jawbone that anchors teeth in the mouth – begins to breakdown and is resorbed into the body. Since there are no longer teeth there that “need” the jawbone, the bone deteriorates and goes away.

The rate of deterioration varies per person. However, it can begin almost immediately after a tooth is lost or removed and will continue throughout life. Once deterioration reaches a certain point, dental prosthetics such as dentures will no longer be available to use because there will no longer be enough bone to support them.


Misalignment occurs when teeth no longer have an opposing tooth structure. The tooth with no counterpart can become loose and the bone supporting it may begin to deteriorate because of lack of stimulation. Losing even one tooth may cause the remaining teeth to shift their position, altering an individual’s bite pattern and leading to pain in the head, neck and jaw.

tooth misalignment Pittsfield, MA
facial aesthetic patient smiling Pittsfield, MA

Facial Appearance

Teeth are also designed to hold the lips and cheeks in place. When one or more teeth are missing, the lips and cheeks will not have their natural support system. When closed, the mouth will appear “sunken in” without the support of the teeth. This can age the appearance of the person greatly.

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