When you lose mass and density in your smile, which often follows tooth loss, this could cause an aged appearance to develop. But to rebuild these weakened portions, and make the smile ready for dental implant placement, we could offer jawbone grafting. In today’s blog, your Santa Rosa , CA, oral surgeons talk about the grafting procedure.
The Loss of Mass and Density
How does our smile lose mass and density? This often follows the loss of natural teeth. When the body registers the loss of one or more teeth, it suspends or diverts the flow of calcium and phosphorus to those portions of the jaw. Without these nutrients, the bone tissue begins to break down. This causes further tooth loss and for some, a prematurely aged appearance as well. The weakened bone could also mean your smile isn’t ready to receive dental implants, as it cannot support your new tooth roots. To rebuild those portions and strengthen your smile, we may need to offer a ridge augmentation, also known as grafting.
Bone Grafting
We will first gather detailed digital x-rays and images of your smile, so we can assess the strength of your jawbone and highlight the weakened portions. We can then plan the procure with detail. When treatment time arrives, we will administer a numbing agent and dental sedation to ensure you remain calm and comfortable, with little to no memory of the procedure at all. Once we do, we will open the gums and apply the new tissues to the smile. They will then bond with them and leave your smile ready to receive new teeth. The tissues could come from the rear of your jaw or your hip, or we could use donor or synthetic sources too.
Dental Implant Placement
Once the area heals properly, our team will then plan the placement of one or more dental implants. We chose the optimal positions and angles to not only support a new tooth, but to stimulate the growth of the jawbone to prevent further loss of mass and density, so your new smile is ready to last for decades to come or even a lifetime. We can use implant dentistry to address one missing tooth, or even support a bridge or full set of fixed dentures. If you have any questions about rebuilding your smile or about replacing missing teeth with dental implants, then contact our team today to learn more.
Ready for a Full and Beautiful Smile?
Our team wants to help address the loss of mass and density in your smile. If you have any questions about rebuilding your smile with oral surgery, then contact your Santa Rosa, CA, oral surgeons by calling 707-545-4625.
