Tooth loss could lead to weakened jawbone structure, which not only causes an aged appearance, but could limit your ability to receive dental implants to make your smile full again. But our team can strengthen these weakened portions beforehand. In today’s blog, your Santa Rosa , CA, oral surgeons talk about jawbone grafting and sinus lifts.
How Tooth Loss Weakens Your Smile
When we lose our natural teeth, the body will stop sending doses of calcium and phosphates to the jawbone where the missing tooth once resided. Without these nutrients, the bone tissue begins to break down. The resulting loss of mass and density could mean a weakened jaw and the risk of further tooth loss. As more teeth go missing, this could also mean a prematurely aged appearance too. Dental implants can stimulate the growth of jawbone structure to prevent this, but if you’ve already lost structure your smile may not be able to support new implants. But we can help with grafting and sinus lifts!
Ridge Augmentation
A ridge augmentation, also known as bone grafting, involves adding new structure to the weakened portions of the jaw. These structures bond with the jaw and provide an opportunity to ensure the growth of bone tissue. Your jaw is strengthened, and can now support the placement of one or more dental implants, so you can have a full smile again. The new structure could be taken from the rear of your jaw, your hip, or your knee. We could also use synthetic sources too. Our team will plan the procedure in detail with digital imaging technology, and will ensure your comfort during treatment with dental sedation.
Sinus Lifts
Ridge augmentation addresses the lower jaw, but what about the upper portion? If you have lost mass and density here and can’t support one or more dental implants, then we can conduct a sinus lift. Essentially, we will raise the sinus floor to cover new tissues, allowing us to support dental implants and complete your smile.
When your smile is ready for dental implants, we can use options like All-On-Four to create them in a day for some patients. We also custom-make the denture portion to ensure a natural appearance, balanced bite, and the ability to handle daily bite forces with ease. If you have any questions about bone grafting or sinus lift procedures, then contact our team today to learn more. We want to help you obtain a full smile again!
Our Team Helps Rebuild Your Smile
Our team wants to help you make your smile ready for dental implant placement with ridge augmentation and sinus lift procedures. If you would like to learn more about rebuilding and strengthening your smile, then contact your Santa Rosa, CA, oral surgeons by calling (707)545-4625.
