When one or more teeth are missing, it can lead to jawbone loss at the site of the gap. This loss of jawbone can develop into additional problems, both with your appearance and your overall health. You may experience pain, problems with your remaining teeth, and altered facial appearance, and eventually even the inability to speak and eat normally.nIn that same way that muscles are maintained through exercise, bone tissue is maintained by use. Natural teeth are embedded in the jawbone and stimulate the jawbone through activities such as chewing and biting. When teeth are missing, the alveolar bone or the portion of the jawbone that anchors the teeth in the mouth no longer receives the necessary stimulation and begins to break down or resorb. The body no longer uses or “needs” the jawbone, so it deteriorates and goes away.nnPOTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF TOOTH AND JAWBONE LOSSnProblems with remaining teeth, including, misalignment, drifting, loosening, and lossnCollapsed facial profilenLimited lip supportnSkin wrinkling around the mouthnDistortion of other facial featuresnJaw (temporomandibular joint [TMJ]) pain, facial pain, and headachesnDifficulty speaking and communicatingnInadequate nutrition as a result of the inability to chew properly and painlesslynSinus expansion