What does tooth loss do to your smile? Without replacement with implant dentistry, this could lead to the loss of your bone structure. Over time, this weakens your smile and causes further tooth loss. But to receive dental implants, you may first need grafting and sinus lifts from your Santa Rosa, CA, oral surgeons.
The Loss of Mass and Density
The body will respond to your tooth loss by suspending the flow of calcium and phosphorus to the jawbone around the missing roots, or diverting these nutrients to other parts of the smile. This means the neglected portions will gradually and gently break down the bone. This means a loss in mass and density, which makes the risk of further tooth loss increase. After enough time, this could actually impact your facial structure, causing you to take on an older appearance prematurely. This could also leave your smile simply too weak to support one or more dental implants, limiting your tooth replacement options.
The Repair with Grafting and Sinus Lifts
How do we restore these weakened portions, improving esthetics and making your smile implant-ready in the process? We start the grafting process by taking detailed digital images and x-rays with CBCT technology. These images allow us to see the bone structure in detail, so we can plan the process with accuracy and precision. When we’re ready, we will administer not only a local anesthetic, but dental sedation as well. This ensures you’re comfortable and relaxed throughout the process, with little to no memory at all of the procedures. We then use bone tissue take from the rear of your jaw or from your hip, or we employ donor or synthetic sources, to rebuild the weakened portions. This converts to natural bone tissue and leaves your smile fuller and ready to support one or more dental implants. For the upper jaw, we will perform a sinus lift, raising the sinus floor to uncover new bone tissue to support your new teeth.
Dental Implants
Once the area heals, we will use digital guides to gently insert the new posts at specific angles and positions, so they bone with the structure. This helps prevent the jaw from breaking down, and ensures your new teeth can last for decades to come. We can address a single missing tooth, or use several to support a bridge or even a full set of dentures. You can smile with confidence, and hold onto your youthful features! If you have any questions about our approach to jaw surgery, then contact our team today.
Do You Have Questions About Jaw Surgery?
Our team is eager to help you enjoy a full smile again. To learn more about rebuilding and restoring your smile’s stability and function, then schedule a consultation by calling Santa Rosa Oral Surgery in Santa Rosa, CA, today at 707-545-4625.