The reason dental implants are becoming so popular is because they provide beautiful replacement teeth that work and feel just like natural teeth. This is possible because dental implants are directly fused to your jawbone, just like your natural teeth are. Naturally, in order for this process to be a success, your jawbone must be strong enough to support your implants. If you do not pursue treatment quick enough, it is possible for your jaw to have deteriorated to the point where it isn’t capable of supporting dental implants. Today, Dr. Altschuler is blogging from Gainesville, FL to talk about jawbone deterioration, its effects, and what can be done to reverse the damage done by it.
Defend Your Jawbone With Dental Implants
What many people don’t realize about the jawbone is that it is much like a muscle in the way that it needs constant exercise to stay strong. This exercise usually comes from vibrations caused by the impact of food on your teeth. These vibrations travel down your tooth roots and into your jawbone. When you lose a tooth, you are also losing a vital source of these vibrations, and your jawbone will suffer because of it. In fact, if your jawbone isn’t getting the exercise it needs to stay healthy, the portion of it that was attached to the missing tooth will begin to deteriorate.
There are many cosmetic issues that can arise because of jawbone deterioration and tooth loss. It is actually the jawbone and teeth that work to shape and support your facial structure. When you lose a tooth, you are losing this support and your face may take on a sunken appearance. This means that your cheeks may appear hollow and sickly. Jawbone deterioration can also lead to wrinkles forming around your jawline. In fact, people suffering from jawbone deterioration tend to look much older than they really are, and are often described as looking unhealthy.
Jawbone deterioration doesn’t necessarily disqualify patients from pursuing treatment with dental implants. Luckily, bone grafting can be performed, restoring strength and structure to your jawbone. Bone grafting is a procedure where bone is taken from another part of your body, usually your hipbone, and grafted to the deficient areas of your jawbone. Synthetic or heavily sterilized animal bone can also be used if you are uncomfortable using samples from your own body. With bone grafting, we are able to restore your jawbone to the point where it can provide a suitable foundation to support your dental implants.
Call and Schedule a Consultation at the Altschuler Periodontic and Implant Center
It is for the reasons listed above that we recommend our patients suffering from missing teeth pursue treatment with dental implants as soon as possible. If treatment is started early enough, your dental implants can be placed before your jawbone begins to deteriorate, allowing you to proceed with bone grafting. If you would like to learn more about bone grafting or dental implants, we encourage you to contact us and schedule a no-obligation consultation with Dr. Altschuler today.
