For patients who’ve experienced tooth loss, dental implants can offer a comprehensive way to preserve their oral health while also restoring their smile’s youthful, vibrant appearance. The good news is that most tooth loss patients make good candidates for dental implant placement, which involves placing an appropriate number of implant posts in the upper and/or lower jawbone. However, if it’s been awhile since you’ve lost teeth, or if you exhibit severe periodontal disease, then your jawbone may not have enough mass and density left to support the implant posts.
How Your Jawbone Lost Density
Severe periodontal disease, which is the leading cause of adult tooth loss, does more than just destroy your gums. The disease also affects your jawbone structure, which holds your teeth roots in place when healthy. As your jawbone erodes, it loses its grip on your teeth and becomes unable to support them. Even after you’ve treated your periodontal disease, the loss of the tooth’s root affects your jawbone’s stimulation, and therefore, its supply of nutrients.
Why It Matters for Your Implants
One of the biggest benefits of dental implants is stopping the deterioration of your jawbone that follows the loss of your teeth roots. However, once this deterioration has already occurred, implants cannot reverse it, and your jawbone may not be able to support them, anyway. Before you can replace your lost teeth, your oral health expert will have to recommend a solution for building up your jawbone, such as jawbone grafting.
What Jawbone Grafting Does About It
Jawbone grafting is the surgical process of grafting biocompatible bone structure to the jawbone, bulking up its structure by directly adding more density to it. After your procedure, your jawbone will strong and healthy enough to support your implants, which will then support your jawbone’s continued good healthy by stimulating it every time you bite and chew with your new smile.
Ask Our Experts About Jawbone Grafting
If your jawbone has grown weak due to severe gum disease or tooth loss, then speak with our experts about fortifying it with jawbone grafting before your dental implant placement. For more information, schedule a consultation by calling E-Care Dentistry, PA in Olathe, KS, today at 913-210-1701. We also proudly serve patients from Overland Park, Lenexa, Leawood, Gardner, Spring Hill, Osawatomie, Edgerton, Shawnee, Johnson County, De Soto, Paola, Lawrence, and all surrounding communities