Patients with missing teeth can find an effective, permanent tooth replacement solution with dental implants. Implants can restore oral function and enhance the appearance of your smile after tooth loss.
Dental implants can also improve jawbone health that may have deteriorated when the patient lost their tooth. The dentists at Owings Mills Dental Care in Owings Mills, MD describe the positive impact dental implants can have on bone in your jaw.
What Happens to Jawbone After Tooth Loss?
In healthy dental patients, the root of the tooth extends below the gumline to the jaw. The root stimulates the jawbone and keeps it healthy.
When a patient loses a tooth, the jawbone no longer has this stimulation. In the tooth root’s absence, the jawbone begins to deteriorate.
Loss of structure in the jaw can negatively impact the alignment and strength of your remaining teeth. It can also lead to the appearance of sagging in the face.
How Can Dental Implants Help Jawbone Health?
Dental implants involve a titanium post that a dentist surgically places into the jaw. Once healed, the dentist places a prosthetic tooth or crown over an abutment above the gumline that attaches to this post.
The post simulates the missing tooth root and stimulates the jawbone in the same way. This stops the jawbone from deteriorating.
The implant can also encourage the regeneration of bone in the jaw that may have already been lost due to the missing tooth. This treatment prevents changes in facial shape and fills gaps where a tooth was lost to cosmetically enhance a patient’s smile.
Can My Jaw Support Dental Implants?
Because dental implants require the titanium post to be surgically secured in the jaw, the jawbone must be strong enough to support the post. If too much jawbone has deteriorated due to tooth loss, the jaw will not be stable enough to hold the implant.
If this is the case, your dentist may suggest a bone graft surgery to create more of a foundation in the jaw that can ultimately support a dental implant. Your dentist may recommend an alternative tooth replacement treatment if this is not possible.
Dental Implants and More in Owings Mills, MD
Owings Mills Dental Care offers dental implants and other restorative dental treatments to patients in Owings Mills, MD. Our practice also specializes in cosmetic and general dentistry for patients of all ages. To schedule an appointment or consultation with us, contact our office online or reach us by phone at 410.314.9546.