How Implants Prevent Bone Loss
Madison, AL
 One of the major risks of losing permanent teeth is the risk of bone loss. This will not only make it hard to keep the remaining teeth but also can make the entire structure of the face change.
An elongated face that appears with no bones on the lower part of the mouth and is one of the hidden consequences of losing teeth.
The only effective way to prevent this is by the use of dental implants. Dental implants have a lifespan of over 30 years and help to preserve and stimulate your jawbone.
At Singing River Dentistry, we specialize in dental implants and if you want to learn more about implant dentistry, you can contact us to schedule your consultation.
Why Does Bone Loss Occur After Losing a Tooth?
Your jawbone, similar to other tissue or bone in the body, needs stimulation to stay strong and healthy. In case you do not use a muscle, it will start to deteriorate. This is similar to the jawbone.
When your teeth are healthy, their roots transmit the force of biting and chewing into your jawbone. This stimulates the jawbones and will keep them healthy.
However, if you lose a tooth, the tooth roots are gone. Therefore, there will no longer be any force or pressure from everyday activities that will be transmitted into the jawbone, and as a result, it will lead to jawbone resorption.
Moreover, the bone will slowly deteriorate and weaken. If you don’t get dental implants, you will experience a decrease in jaw width and a decrease in jaw height. You may lose 25 percent of the jawbone in a period of just one year after losing your tooth.
When enough teeth are lost and the jawbone continues to decline, the distance from the chin to the nose will begin to decrease and you will start experiencing collapsing of the face.
Due to a lack of structural support, then your lips will start to sag. That is the reason why individuals with missing teeth look older than they are and appear unhappy.
Over time, bone loss can likewise impact your ability to chew or speak. It also leads to jaw joint (TMJ) pain and additional bite problems.
Symptoms of Bone Loss in Teeth
Bone loss in teeth usually happens gradually and it is noticeable when you find the following symptoms: discomfort when chewing, lips sinking inward, loose teeth, wrinkles in the mouth area, facial structure collapse, shifting teeth, and ill-fitted dentures.
How Dental Implants Help
Dental implants are a permanent solution for missing teeth. For starters, dental implants can assist to restore the aesthetics and function of your smile, enabling you to speak, chew and eat effectively while maintaining the look of healthy and strong teeth.
In addition to that, single tooth replacement can prevent bone loss. During dental implants, a titanium post is implanted into the jawbone and over three to six months, the titanium fuses to bone through the process called osseointegration.
This titanium post becomes a permanent part of the bone, stabilizing and stimulating the bone to help it maintain density and volume.
This will ensure that your tooth restoration is secure and it will act just like a normal tooth. After a healing period, the dental implants are topped with dental crowns which look, function, and feel like a natural tooth.
Since dental implants work similarly to natural teeth, they will exert some pressure on the jawbone whenever you are chewing, which keeps your jawbone healthy and functional. With regular flossing, brushing, and professional cleanings - the same care and maintenance that natural teeth need – your dental implants can last for many years or even for a lifetime.
What if I Don’t Have Enough Healthy Jawbone?
If you do not have an adequate amount of bone density or you have waited for a long time to replace a missing tooth, that will not mean that you can no longer have dental implants. Nevertheless, you will first require bone grafting for you to meet the requirements to have dental implants.
Having a bone graft will rebuild the strength and structure of the jawbone to support your dental implants. The reason a healthy and strong jawbone is very important to support dental implants is that it can affect the osseointegration process.
An unhealthy jawbone and inadequate bone density can prevent the implant from connecting with the jawbone properly and this can lead to implant failure. Furthermore, the unhealthy and weak jawbone is likewise more susceptible to damage from gum trauma or disease.
What About Other Options for Tooth Replacement?
Dental implants are the only procedure for tooth restoration that can prevent and preserve more loss of jawbone. Dental bridges and dentures do not restore the root of the tooth, hence there is no provision of stimulation and there is no cell regeneration.
Denture procedures can even speed up bone loss because of the pressure of the dentures on the bone ridges they place on.
The only exception is when you choose implant-supported bridges or implant anchored dentures. These procedures involve holding a bridge or denture in place by placing numerous dental implants into your mouth so that they can hold artificial teeth in place.
How Traditional Dentures Lead to Bone Loss
For a lot of patients who have experienced tooth loss, traditional methods are convenient and affordable options.
Nevertheless, in some cases, dentures can speed up the bone loss by wearing away the bone ridges on which they are placed. That is why these people experience sore spots, difficulty speaking, painful chewing, and loose, ill-fitting dentures.
The only alternative treatment to traditional dentures is dental implants. When you are missing one or all of your teeth, dental implants can be utilized to support a number of restorations.
Schedule Your Consultation Today!
If you want a permanent solution for missing teeth that will aid in keeping your jawbone in good shape and healthy, consider having dental implants.
Through restorative dentistry here at Singing River Dentistry, we can replace missing teeth and give you an attractive smile once again. Contact us at 256 - 562 - 4001 and book an appointment today. |
