If you’re missing teeth, you may have heard that you are at risk of bone deterioration. This happens because your jawbone is not being stimulated by your teeth, and thus as the saying goes “if you don’t use it, you lose it.”

Unfortunately, bone loss can cause you to lose even more teeth, and it can make it very difficult to get dental implants. If you have significant deterioration, you may need a bone graft procedure to help restore some of the damage. This could be a requirement before getting dental implant surgery, but in some cases the deterioration may be too severe, and you may not be able to get dental implants at all.

Thankfully, if you do not have adequate bone density to support dental implants, dentures could be a viable solution. But do dentures prevent deterioration? Here’s what you need to know about dentures and your jawbone health.