Dealing with missing teeth isn’t just a problem when it comes to the appearance of your smile or how well you can chew your food. Did you know that natural teeth help support jaw bone health too?
One of the most common problems that people with missing teeth deal with is loss of jawbone mass. However, replacing a missing tooth with a dental implant in Bowling Green is a great way to fix all of that.
Keep reading to understand how dental implants support jaw bone health.
A permanent tooth’s root is implanted in the jaw bone, which helps keep it in place. Every time you chew your food, you apply pressure to your jawbone, stimulating the area. This is actually what helps deliver essential nutrients to your jaw.
But when a tooth is missing, that particular area is no longer properly stimulated. Since the jaw is made from living bone, when it stops getting essential nutrients, it can start to wither. Therefore, over time the jaw bone becomes weaker and brittle.
This can create secondary side effects, such as having the rest of your teeth move to compensate for the extra space and even a change in your facial features.
But even if you’re not too concerned about your appearance, a weaker jawbone can lead to uncomfortable health complications. One of the most common is TMJ pain, where the jaw joints become inflamed.
Dental implants look and work just like a natural tooth. It’s made of 3 parts:
The metal post is surgically inserted into the jaw and therefore becomes the new root. After the abutment and crown are added on top, this artificial tooth can now stimulate the jaw bone exactly the way a natural tooth would, preventing bone loss.
Dental implants need strong and healthy jaw bones. Otherwise, the procedure can fail.
If you are dealing with bone loss, you may still be able to get a dental implant through a bone grafting procedure.
It involves taking a piece of bone and attaching it to the area where bone mass was lost. The tissues will then fuse, and the mass will be restored. The bone graft is usually taken from another part of the patient’s jaw, but it can also be artificial or come from a donor.
Bryan Packard, DMD can help you find out if you’re a good candidate for dental implants or recommend another way to restore both the health and look of your smile!
Are you ready to get started? Then book a consultation at Precision Dental online, or call us at 270-715-9214.
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