If you have lost multiple natural teeth, this could cause the jaw to gradually weaken and break down. This could then leave you unable to support dental implants to treat your tooth loss. But we can help rebuild your smile! In today’s blog, your Santa Rosa, CA, oral surgeons talk about creating a new foundation for your dental implant placement!
The Loss of Jawbone Density
When we lose our teeth in adulthood, the body will respond by suspending the flow of calcium and phosphorus to the areas now missing tooth roots. Without these nutrients, the bone tissue weakens and loses mass and density, which means further tooth loss is possible, along with an older appearance. These can replace missing teeth and unlike bridges or removable dentures, they can last for decades to come. But there has to be enough structure to support them! To provide a new foundation for your dental implant dentures, our team could conduct jawbone grafting or complete a sinus lift.
Jawbone Grafting
With jawbone grafting, also known as ridge augmentation, we will add new structure to then weakened portions of the smile. These could be tissues taken from the retag of your jaw, your hip, or from your knee. But we could also employ synthetic sources as well. These bond with the jaw and provide a new base to support one or more dental implants. To ensure you’re comfortable during the procedure, we have local anesthetic and also dental sedation, and we will plan the procedure in detail with digital imagery, such as digital x-rays and CBCT systems.
Sinus Lifts
The ridge augmentation works for the lower jaw, but what about the upper one? For the upper jaw, our team will essentially raise the sinus floor to uncover new structures that can be used to support one or more dental implants, making your tooth replacement possible.
Placement
Once our team completes these procedures and the treated areas heal, we will guide the dental implant post into the jaw. We could support a full set of dentures with as little as four posts per arch, and these will prevent further breakdown in the jaw by stimulating the growth of structure. Your new teeth can last for decades or possibly a lifetime! If you have any questions about implant dentures or grafting procedures, then contact our team today to learn more.
Do You Have Questions About Rebuilding Your Smile
We want to help you enjoy a full smile again, with results that can last for decades to come. To learn more about preparing your smile for dental implant placement, then schedule a consultation by calling Santa Rosa Oral Surgery in Santa Rosa, CA, today at 707-545-4625.