When we suffer from the loss of our natural teeth, this could mean major complications for your smile and facial structure. Often, these complications lead to bone structure unable to support tooth replacement with dental implants. To rebuild your smile, your Santa Rosa, CA, oral surgeons may prescribe jawbone grafting or sinus lifts!
Tooth Loss and Jawbone Breakdown
Losing teeth doesn’t just mean complications for our ability to eat and speak, or for our smile esthetics. Once the body notices there is a missing root, the flow of key nutrients to that area of the jawbone will be suspended. Without regular doses of calcium and phosphates, the bone tissue begins to degrade, losing mass and density. This loss then causes further tooth loss and an aged appearance. In addition, if you want to replace your missing teeth with dental implants, there may not be bough tissue to support your new roots. However, we can rebuild this portion of your smile!
The Grafting and Sinus Lift Procedures
The grafting procedure, also known as a ridge augmentation, basically means that we use tissue from the back of your jaw or from your hip to build up the portions of the lower jaw that have degraded. We could also use donor or synthetic tissues as well! This leaves your jaw now able to support one or more dental implants. For the upper jaw, we could perform a sinus lift. Our team will lift the floor of your sinuses to provide access to maxillary bone, which can support new teeth and preserve your facial structure. To ensure you feel comfortable, we will administer a local anesthesia, as well as dental sedation, so you enter a deep state of calm and relaxation with no memory of the procedure.
Moving Forward with New Teeth
Once the area has healed, your smile will now be able to support one or more dental implants. Using digital technology, we will plan and guide the placement of your new roots, which bond with the jawbone like natural roots. We then attach abutments and crowns, or possibly even a denture. You will be able to smile with confidence, eat your favorite foods again, and preserve your youthful features. If you have any questions about how we replace one or more missing teeth, then contact our team today. We’re ready to help transform your smile!
Do You Have Questions About Ridge Augmentation?
Our team wants to help you improve your smile’s structure so you’re ready for the placement of one or more dental implants. To learn more about the process of rebuilding your jawbone structure, then schedule a consultation by calling Santa Rosa Oral Surgery in Santa Rosa, CA, today at 707-545-4625.