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Are you dealing with missing teeth and exploring your options? Then you most likely started learning about dental implants.
They are one of the most popular ways to restore a person’s smile. Unfortunately, dental implants aren’t the right solution for everyone. Patients who’ve dealt with bone loss can’t get these artificial teeth.
Or can they? Let’s discuss:
In most cases, the fact that you’re missing one or more natural teeth is also the reason you have lower jawbone mass.
Your natural teeth help support a healthy jaw by stimulating the bone every time you chew. When a tooth is missing, the empty part of the jawbone that doesn’t get stimulated anymore will shrink over time.
The process doesn’t happen overnight, but patients who’ve dealt with missing teeth for years usually don’t have enough bone to support an implant.
But apart from missing teeth, the jawbone can also shrink due to trauma, surgery, or certain medical conditions that attack the bone.
The jawbone will support the dental implant just like it supports a natural tooth.
Dental implants are made of three elements: a metal post, an abutment, and a dental crown. The metal post will be inserted into the jaw to replace the missing tooth’s root.
But these metal posts have a specific length to ensure they can support the abutment and the crown. If you don’t have enough mass, the metal pot might not fit properly into the socket.
Moreover, it’s also likely that this bone is not in pristine condition. Once the metal post is inserted, the bone and surrounding tissue should begin to heal and fuse to it. Unhealthy jawbones can’t do that, and this increases the risk of implant failure.
Some additional procedures could help restore jawbone mass and health, effectively allowing you to get a dental implant in Fox Point.
Two common examples are sinus lifts and bone grafts, both of which can restore bone mass. If you’re a good candidate for these procedures, they are setting up your implant for success.
Your oral surgeon will only schedule you for implant placement surgery once you heal from the sinus lift or grafting procedure, which can take around 6 months or so. Still, even if the wait is long, it may be worth it, considering that dental implants are permanent tooth replacements.
If you have missing teeth, Dr. Major and Dr. Krenzke can help you find out if you’re a good candidate for implants, even if you’re dealing with bone loss.
Schedule a consultation at Fox Point Dental Studio online and stop by to learn more about your options.
For more information, call us at (414) 236-5885.