Does just losing a tooth alone mean you’re ready for dental implant placement? Or do we look for other factors when considering candidacy? In today’s blog, your Santa Rosa , CA, oral surgeons will experience who makes a good candidate for implant placement, and how we could prepare your smile to support long-lasting and lifelike teeth.
Tooth Loss
The loss of your teeth could be due to injury, or even untreated tooth decay or dental infection. However, the most common cause is periodontitis, the advanced state of gum disease, which destroys the tissue connecting your teeth and gums. When we lose teeth, this could lead to misalignment and difficulty eating or speaking clearly. The body will also stop sending doses of calcium and phosphorus to the bone tissue around the lost tooth. The bone tissue then breaks down and the patient develops an older appearance.
Jawbone Density
Loss mass and density following tooth loss doesn’t just impact your smile’s beauty and your facial appearance. Without solid jawbone density, your smile may not be able to support a dental implant. When we look at your candidacy, we want to make sure you have a smile free of underlying oral health issues, and one strong enough to support new roots. If we find this isn’t the case, we will need to recommend ridge augmentation and sinus lifts to rebuild the roots of the jaw that have broken down, so you can once again support a full smile. However, for some we could opt for All-On-Four and other options designed to thrive in smiles with reduced jawbone strength. We will carefully examine your smile with digital imaging systems to help you identify the factors behind your tooth loss, and decide which option is best for you.
Replacing Your Missing Teeth
Once we’ve treated underlying issues like gum disease, and decided on how to address reduced jawbone strength, we will move forward with treatment. After we numb the area and provide sedation, our next step will be to use digital guides to insert your new roots and attach a prosthetic if necessary. We will provide detailed aftercare instructions as the placement area heals, and discuss the next steps to complete your smile. Whether you have lost one tooth, or all of them, we have options to help you enjoy full function and beauty once again. If you have any questions about how we address tooth loss or about your candidacy, then contact our team today.
Do You Have Questions About The Implant Process?
We would like to help you maintain a full smile by addressing the gaps in your smile. To learn more about how we address missing teeth with an advanced replacement option, then schedule a consultation by calling Santa Rosa Oral Surgery in Santa Rosa, CA, today at 707-545-4625.
