Why It May Look Like a Receded Mouth: It Could Be Because of a Lowered

Why It May Look Like a Receded Mouth: It Could Be Because of a Lowered 'This'

Hello.

I am the director of Seoul Bardi Dental Clinic.

Even though you are not that old, when you look in the mirror, the area around your mouth seems sunken,

“Does my face seem to be turning more and more like a receded mouth?”

Have you ever felt that way?

Today, through the case of a patient who visited us saying,

“My front teeth are worn down so much that I look like I have a receded mouth,”

we would like to explain

why this change happens, and how it can be improved.

<Table of Contents>

1. Why does it look like a “receded mouth”? Changes that occur when vertical dimension collapses
2. Receded mouth appearance: how we restored the vertical dimension

1. Why does it look like a “receded mouth”? Changes that occur when vertical dimension collapses

Why it may look like a receded mouth: It could be because of a lowered 'This'

This patient had long-term severe tooth wear, so the teeth were generally reduced in height.

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Looking inside the mouth, not only the front teeth but also the molars were worn flat,

the lower right implant prosthesis was made unusually low.

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This creates one problem.

Our face is balanced by the “tooth height” where the upper and lower teeth meet, with the lips, jaw, and cheeks in harmony.

The height between the teeth is called the “vertical dimension” in dentistry,

Simply put, when you close your mouth, you can think of it as the face height created by the upper and lower teeth.

Just as one leg of a desk being shorter causes the whole desk to tilt,

if even one side of the teeth is low, the overall height collapses.

When the vertical dimension decreases, these changes can occur:

• The area around the mouth sinks in, creating a receded-mouth appearance
• Nasolabial folds appear deeper
• Teeth wear down faster
• Temporomandibular joint pain and abnormal symptoms
• Chewing force becomes concentrated abnormally, increasing the risk of tooth fracture

In other words, on the surface it may appear as changes such as “my front teeth are worn down” or “I look like I have a receded mouth,”

but the underlying cause is often an overall collapse of the bite.

2. Receded mouth appearance: how we restored the vertical dimension

Why it may look like a receded mouth: It could be because of a lowered 'This'

The treatment goals for this patient were twofold.

1. Restore the collapsed vertical dimension by rebuilding the worn-down tooth height

2. Naturally restore the mouth appearance that looked like a receded mouth

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First, we removed the lower right implant prosthesis, which had been the start of the problem.

We removed the prosthesis that had been made too low,

and decided to remake it with a better height so it would harmonize with the other teeth.

Next, we decided to save the seven lower front teeth that had worn down significantly.

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Fortunately, these lower front teeth did not have much mobility, and the roots were still able to support them,

so we first performed root canal treatment and then restored the height with crowns.

The situation was different for the five upper front teeth.

Several teeth had been joined into one prosthesis (bridge), and when we removed it, 230715

The inner teeth were badly damaged, and the remaining tooth structure itself was too small.

Even if we tried to restore it in this condition, there was a high chance the prosthesis would not last long.

In such cases, rather than forcing weak teeth to continue being used,

it is safer to proceed with implants that can last long term.

After a full explanation to the patient,

the upper front teeth and the other teeth in poor condition were planned for implant treatment.

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As a result, we saved the seven lower front teeth with crowns,

and placed a total of 12 more implants,

reconstructing the overall bite by restoring the vertical dimension with implant prostheses.

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After the treatment was completed, the patient looked in the mirror and said,

“Before, my mouth looked sunken in, but now it looks fine.”

with a bright smile.

230211 (Before) 240510 (After)

Teeth do not only function to chew food; they also have a major impact on mouth appearance and facial contours.

If your mouth appears sunken like a receded mouth, or if tooth wear has caused the overall balance to look collapsed,

it is helpful to accurately check the condition of your teeth and how much the vertical dimension has changed.

In particular, many people consider fillers or other procedures because their nasolabial folds look deeper,

but if the cause is a collapse in tooth height, procedures that only treat the face cannot provide a fundamental solution.

Because the balance between teeth and face moves together, after carefully diagnosing the current condition,

we will work with the patient to determine the most realistic and long-lasting method.

Thank you.

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Why It May Look Like a Receded Mouth: It Could Be Because of a Lowered 'This'

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| This post was written directly by Seoul Bardi Dental Clinic for the purpose of providing medical information in compliance with Article 56, Paragraph 1 of the Medical Advertising Act. The information provided is for reference only, and we recommend that you visit a medical institution and receive guidance from medical staff for accurate symptom assessment and management methods. All procedures / surgeries performed at the dental clinic may involve risks depending on the individual (inflammation, bleeding, swelling, etc.). Please make decisions after sufficient consultation with medical staff in advance. The treatment cases in this post were photographed with the consent of patients who completed treatment at our clinic, and the before-and-after photos were taken under the same conditions. |