Dental implants and bone loss: modern techniques to restore your oral health
As well as restoring your smile, dental implants help to restore and/or maintain your oral health, including the health of your jaw bone. However, at Sheen Dental in Richmond we are aware that some people have already experienced a significant degree of bone loss, which is why we offer a number of additional procedures designed to rebuild the density of your jaw bone prior to implant placement.
Bone loss happens when the natural tooth roots have been missing for some time and haven’t been replaced. It is frequently seen in people who have worn traditional dentures for several years. Dental implants help to prevent bone loss because they replace the tooth roots, and because they are made from titanium, which encourages bone growth.
If you are struggling with ill-fitting dentures, bone loss is likely to be at least partially behind it. As well as causing problems with your speech, diet, and confidence as your false teeth become loose, shrinkage of your jaw bone can give a prematurely aged appearance to the face as the skin around the jaws and jowls may start to sag.
Some dentists still believe that bone loss excludes patients from treatment with dental implants, but at Sheen Dental in Richmond we know different. Modern techniques mean that it is possible to rebuild the density of the jaw to maximise the chances of implant treatment succeeding.
If your dentist has told you that you currently have too low a bone density to support dental implants, you can ask to be referred to our Richmond clinic.
Bone grafts, sinus lifts, and bone expansion
Sheen Dental in Richmond offers three solutions to low bone density. Your dentist will determine the best technique, or combination of techniques, to suit your individual clinical situation.
Bone grafts
Either using bone from elsewhere in your body or artificial bone material, your dentist can bulk up your jaw bone.
Sinus lift
Bone graft material is packed into the sinus cavity to provide adequate bone density in the upper jaw.
Bone expansion
A series of special instruments are used to expand the area into which your dental implants will be placed.