Dental implants are among the most popular choices when it comes to tooth restoration treatments, and this is for good reasons. Not only will implants restore your teeth’ function and smile, but they can also enhance the health of your jaw bone.
If you’re interested in discovering the role of dental implants in keeping your jaw bone strong, this article is for you.
Losing one or multiple teeth can have detrimental effects on your oral health. In addition to affecting your self-esteem, missing teeth can impact the health of your jaw in various ways, from changing the facial structure to shifting teeth and jaw bone mass loss. This is why it makes sense to replace a missing tooth.
Jaw bone loss can happen within just a few weeks of tooth extraction. This is because your dental roots do not stimulate the jaw bone through the chewing pressure. The jaw bone functions by producing new cells after old ones die, so without stimulation, the speed of cell replacement reduces until it eventually stops, causing bone deterioration.
If this trend continues, the bone mass and strength will reduce, which can impact the appearance and structure of your face, leading to wrinkles around the mouth, limited jaw movement, sagging skin, and jaw pain.
Part of the reason implants are considered effective is how they work. Dental implants can support the existing bone and stop further bone loss when properly installed. Dental implants work in a straightforward way. A metal post will be implanted directly on the jaw bone, which will look and function just like your real teeth.
Within three to six months, the bone develops around the implant and bonds together through the osseointegration process. Bonding the implant helps secure your tooth and can restore the dental root’s function while stimulating the jaw bone. This also boosts the regeneration of bone cells required to maintain bone density.
If it has been a while since you lost your tooth, there is a good chance you don’t have enough healthy jaw bone mass to support an implant. In this case, your dentist may recommend a bone graft rebuild to strengthen your bone and support a dental implant.
Other restorative dentistry options like dentures and bridgework only replace the missing teeth and not the complete tooth structure, meaning they cannot restore the bone’s health. This is why you should consider dental implants if you want to preserve your jaw bone.
If you’re interested in dental implants in Commerce Township, MI, we can help you at Commerce Village Dentists. Book an appointment online or call (248) 363-5388 to talk to our dentists, Dr. Huy Nguyen, Dr. David Pulgini, Dr. Dipinjit Grewal, and Dr. Mathew Savaya, to determine if you’re a good candidate for dental implants.
