Depressions in the Gum or Jawbone
If you lose one or more teeth, it is not uncommon to have an indentation in your gums and jawbone where the tooth used to be. This occurs because the jawbone recedes when it no longer is holding a tooth in place. Not only is this deficiency unnatural looking, it also causes the replacement teeth to look unnatural.
Shrinkage of the gum can often be prevented when a tooth needs to be removed, with a procedure called "ridge preservation." Dr. Strutz can extract the tooth, and fill in the socket with a synthetic material at the same visit.