The loss of natural teeth could lead to serious problems for your smile down the road, including the weakening of your jawbone. This complication not only leads to additional missing teeth, but could complicate dental implant placement. In today’s blog, your Santa Rosa , CA, oral surgeons talk about strengthening weakened smiles with jawbone grafting and sinus lifts.
The Loss of Your Teeth
Once your natural teeth are lost, this means the body will respond by no longer sending doses of calcium and phosphorus to the surrounding jawbone. Without these nutrients, the bone tissue begins to break down, the gradual loss of mass and density then causes further tooth loss and even a prematurely aged appearance. With enough loss, you may not have enough structure left to support dental implants, severely limiting your tooth replacement options. Fortunately, we can help by rebuilding the weakened portions of your smile.
The Ridge Augmentation
A ridge augmentation, also known as jawbone grafting, can rebuild the structure on the lower jaw. We essentially take tissue from your hip or the back of your jaw, or from donor or synthetic sources, and apply it to weakened parts of your smile. This bonds and then restores it, leaving it able to support one or more dental implants. For the upper arch, we could elevate the sinus floor to uncover new tissues that support one or more dental implants. We will plan the process with advanced digital technology, and use anesthesia and sedation to ensure you’re comfortable and calm throughout the process, with little to no memory of it afterward.
Implant Placement
Once the treated area heals, we can insert the dental implants at an angle and position to not only support new teeth, but also stimulates the growth of jawbone structure, ensuring it doesn’t; break down and your new teeth have the potential to last for decades to come, maybe even a lifetime. Our team could also discuss options like All-On-Four, which use four smaller and specifically placed posts to support dentures even if the jawbone has weakened with time. No matter how severe your tooth loss or the state of your smile, our team can help you receive lifelike and durable dental implants, so you can have a smile that looks and functions like natural one.
If you have any questions about the grafting or sinus lift procedures, or regarding implant dentistry, then let us know! We could love to help you enjoy a full smile again.
Do You Have Questions About Rebuilding Your Jaw Structure?
We would love to help prepare your smile for dental implant placement. If you would like to learn more about strengthening your smile, then contact your Santa Rosa, CA, oral surgeons by calling 707-545-4625.
