Your dentist will likely recommend that you undergo a bone grafting procedure if you have been determined to be a candidate for dental implant treatment. If your teeth require additional reinforcement, bone grafting might be required. The bone grafting procedure involves removing bone from your jaw or from another part of the body. It will then be transplanted to the area of your jawbone that requires additional support. So let’s look at how dental implants help prevent bone loss.
How Dental Implants Help Prevent Bone Loss
Implants can be used to replace missing teeth and improve your dental health. Below, our dentist in Desert Hot Springs will explain how dental implants help prevent bone loss and whether or not you are a good candidate for the bone grafting procedure prior to getting your implants put in.
Bone Loss Due to Jawbone Deterioration
Jawbone deterioration, also known as jawbone resorption, is a process that results in a gradual loss of bone density. This can cause gaps and space in the jaw, which can lead to the teeth shifting and moving around. This can lead to severe misalignments, which can cause teeth to impact one another. This could result in a lot of pain and discomfort.
Dental implants are a great way to preserve the bone that still remains and to build up a strong enough foundation with a bone graft to prevent further deterioration. It is possible to get dental implants after bone loss, especially if you are a good candidate for a bone graft procedure.
Other Causes of Bone Loss
Aside from jawbone deterioration, other conditions could cause you to lose enough bone mass in your jaw. You may experience bone loss depending on how severe your oral health needs are before getting dental implants:
Bridges and Dentures
For those with severe deterioration, dentures are one of the most common causes of bone loss in their jaw. Dentures are placed above your gums and don’t stimulate the jawbone beneath them. As your mouth loses its grip, dentures can become looser over time.
Gum Disease
This is also known as periodontal disease. It’s a severe form of gum disease that can cause irreparable damage to your jawbone. Your natural teeth can become looser and fall out as the underlying bone becomes weaker over time. It is crucial to detect gum disease early in its development before it progresses into irreversible periodontitis.
Extractions
Tooth extractions are usually the last resort. However, if there is no other option, the dentist will extract your tooth to prevent infection, decay, or discomfort from spreading. The roots of your teeth are deeply embedded in the jawbone, and if this happens, it can affect the strength of the whole jaw.
Can Patients with Bone Loss Still Get Implants?
Patients with severe bone loss and tooth loss can still receive dental implants. Skilled dentists can take healthy bone from other areas of the body and place it in your jaw using jaw bone grafting. After this procedure is completed, the implants can then be placed in your mouth.
It doesn’t matter if you have missing teeth or not, it is worth asking your dentist if you would be a good candidate to receive dental implants. Implants cannot be placed in weakening jawbones, but this doesn’t mean you won’t have the chance to get them.
Restore Your Jaw Health with Dental Implants!
Implants can replace all your natural teeth, from crown to root. Implants are more than just style and function. They also prolong the life of your dental health and provide comfort. Implants can be a great way to help strengthen and grow your jawbone. Implants are more deeply embedded than dentures, making them appear like real teeth; this is what helps strengthen them over time. Learn more about dental implants in Desert Hot Springs when you schedule a personal consultation with our dental experts today!
