One of the biggest risks of losing your permanent teeth is the risk of losing bone. It makes it challenging without a dental implant to keep your remaining teeth and also changes the structure of your face.
You might have seen an elderly person with an elongated face. It looks like there are no bones in the lower half of their mouth. Moreover, some of you may have also seen the ‘sunken in’ look that occurs with tooth and bone loss.
Your oral surgeon, Costa Mesa, can help provide you with practical ways to deal with the situation. One of the best ways to replace and restore your smile is to choose dental implants. They may:
- Have more than 30+ years of lifespan
- Help stimulate and preserve your jaw bone
- Keep adjacent teeth stable
- Behave like natural teeth
- Help keep you free from gum diseases
Let’s explore more!
1) How does the loss of teeth lead to bone loss?
The maintenance of structure and formation of jawbone depends on the receiving surface stimulation as an individual chews and bites. Consistent jawbone mobility will encourage the bones to rebuild, grow, and encourage existing teeth. When there is the removal of teeth from its socket, it:
- Minimizes jawbone stimulation
- Reduces the jawbone’s width, height, shape, and volume
This will automatically affect the facial structure and overall appearance.
2) What happens if you’re already suffering from a bone loss?
It is natural for every patient to experience some degree of atrophy if they are suffering from long-term bone loss. Therefore, it will also be possible to replace such missing teeth, given that your surgeon performs bone grafting to support the new dental implant.
3) How do you know if you are a candidate for oral implant surgery?
Fixing dental implants is a surgical process, and it requires you to be in good oral health. In short, you should have sound gums and teeth. Even the patients who are chronic smokers are advised to quit smoking before the surgery. This will help them minimize recovery duration and other complications.
4) How can dental implants prevent the loss of teeth?
When it comes to oral healthcare, dental implants prevent bone loss. Yes, these are incredibly effective in replacing missing teeth and preventing chances of bone loss. Unlike other methods, dental implants imitate our natural tooth roots. Your dentist can embed them into your jaw bone and attach restorations like crowns, bridges, dentures, etc.
The jawbone will ultimately grow around it upon placing the implant through osseointegration. When the implant begins to function as a natural root, the jawbone may be able to carry out the mouth’s functions like before.
5) Osseointegration- the key to long-lasting and strong restoration!
Osseointegration is a process by which a dental implant bonds permanently with the surrounding bone. It will become a natural part of your mouth, further helping you increase its lifespan and the unique ability to strengthen and preserve the jawbone. This is why your dentist uses titanium for dental implants.
So, there will not be any confusion about whether dental implants are a good choice or not. I hope this guide will help you clarify all your doubts in a go. Keep your jaw healthy and receive an attractive restoration from the best oral surgeon. Get a picture-perfect smile!