Losing your teeth doesn’t just leave a gap in your smile. Over time, your jawbone itself could lose mass and density, which means an aged appearance, further tooth loss, and complications with dental implant placement. In today’s blog, your Santa Rosa , CA, oral surgeons talk about augmenting smiles with jawbone grafting.
The Loss of Jawbone Structure and Density
When we lose our natural teeth, this causes major problems for our smile. The body will notice the missing root and in response, suspend the flow of key nutrients to the bone tissue. Without these tissues, the jawbone around the missing tooth breaks down, losing mass and density. What follows is tooth loss in the short term, and an aged appearance in the long term. This also means that you may not have enough structure to support dental implants!
The Grafting Process
If we find that following your tooth loss your bone structure has lost mass and density, we can rebuild it and leave it ready to support dental implants. First, we will take detailed digital images and x-rays so we can plan the process in detail and take note of sensitive sinus cavities and nerve tissues. We then administer a numbing agent and dental sedation to help you enter a calm and relaxed state, with little to no memory of the procedure itself. Tissue is then applied to these areas, and will bonding with the bone with time. These tissues could be taken from the back of your jaw or your hip, or from a donor or synthetic source. We will then prescribe medication to ensure a comfortable healing process, and monitor your progress with follow-up visits.
Sinus Lifts
Grafting helps the lower jaw, but for the upper portion of your smile we could lift the sinus floor to uncover new tissues, which could then support tooth replacement. We refer to this procedure as a sinus lift.
Dental Implant Placement
Once we insert dental implants, the biocompatible titanium roots will bond with the jawbone tissue like natural roots. The body resumes the flow of nutrients to the bone as a result, which prevents further breaks down and actually stimulates growth. Your new teeth could last for decades or possibly even a lifetime! We could address one lost tooth, or support a bridge or even a set of fixed dentures. If you have any questions about tackling tooth loss with implant dentistry, then contact our team today.
Do You Have Any Questions About Ridge Augmentation?
Our team wants to make sure your smile is ready for dental implants following your tooth loss. To learn more about how we restore and rebuild your smile after losing natural teeth, schedule a consultation by calling Santa Rosa Oral Surgery in Santa Rosa, CA, today at 707-545-4625.
