Tooth loss can be inconvenient and can make you feel self-conscious about the appearance of your smile. But even if you treat the underlying cause of tooth loss, your smile could be at risk of further health concerns if you do not replace your missing teeth.
Patients can find permanent tooth replacement with dental implants, which offer more restorative benefits than removable oral appliances, including for your jaw. Our dentist serving patients in Laurel, MD, provides further details about the impact that dental implants can have on your jawbone health.
What Happens to Jawbone After Tooth Loss?
In a healthy dental patient, teeth extend below the gumline to form a root that stimulates the jawbone, keeping it strong and stable. When an individual loses a tooth, the tooth root is also absent, and the jaw no longer receives stimulation.
Without this tooth root, the jawbone may begin to deteriorate. This bone loss can lead to the appearance of facial sagging as well as the shifting of any remaining teeth out of alignment. Your oral health may continue to degenerate in this way until you receive intervention from your dentist.
How Do Dental Implants Prevent Jawbone Deterioration?
Removable tooth replacement solutions like dentures can give patients prosthetic teeth above the gumline, but this will not prevent bone loss in the jaw. Dental implants utilize surgically placed titanium post anchors in the jaw that will ultimately support prosthetic teeth.
The anchors serve as substitutes for the absent tooth root and therefore provide stimulation for the jaw once again. This treatment prevents bone deterioration in the jaw and can encourage bone that has already been lost to regrow. It is also a permanent dental solution, as the anchors fuse with the jaw and offer a lifetime of restorative benefits.
Can My Jaw Sustain Dental Implants?
Dental implants protect the jawbone following tooth loss and restore the jaw’s structure as well. But if too much bone has already degenerated following tooth loss, your jaw may not be stable enough to support the anchors of dental implants.
Your dentist can evaluate the structure and stability of your jaw using x-ray imaging taken during a consultation appointment. They may recommend a bone graft surgery to build more strength to the jawbone that will ultimately sustain a dental implant. If this is not feasible, they may suggest an alternative tooth replacement solution.
Implant Dentistry Treatment in Laurel, MD
Laurel Smiles offers dental implants and other tooth replacement solutions to patients in Laurel, MD. Dr. Cooper also specializes in restorative, cosmetic, and general dentistry, including both preventative and emergency dental care, for patients of all ages. Individuals who feel nervous about upcoming dental procedures can ask their dental professionals about sedation dentistry options. To schedule an appointment with our practice, contact our office by phone at 301.200.1315 or reach a member of our staff online.