Dental Implants: Why You Shouldn’t Wait

If you have missing teeth and are putting off a tooth replacement procedure, you may want to reconsider the consequences. Dental implants are considered the gold standard solution for permanently replacing missing teeth. However, by delaying a dental implants procedure you risk bone loss in your jaw. A healthy and adequate quantity of bone is a critical component in successfully placing a dental implant.

How Does Missing Teeth Cause Bone Loss?

Essentially, when you have missing teeth, the jawbone is no longer stimulating by chewing or biting, and it will begin to break down. In the same way that your muscles atrophy from lack of exercise, your jawbone will also deteriorate or resorb when there are no teeth there to activate it.

What Can Be Done If Bone Loss Has Occurred?

Rest assured that your chances of receiving dental implants are not necessarily lost if bone loss has already set in. Your dentist will likely offer you the option of bone grafting if there is not a sufficient amount of existing healthy bone to attach your dental implant. There is a variety of different bone grafting techniques available depending on your specific case, such as socket preservation graft, block cortical bone graft, sinus lift bone graft and guided bone regeneration.

If you have already waited too late and bone loss has already occurred in your jaw due to missing teeth, the advances in dental technology allow for very successful and effective bone grafting procedures so that you can take advantage of the “modern miracle” of dental implants. If you are someone who has just lost teeth, due to extraction, decay, trauma or other cause, it is highly recommended that you see your dentist for a dental implant evaluation as soon as possible. Dr. Wayne Suway can handle your dental implant procedure as well as any necessary bone grafting you may need from start to finish. Call today to see if dental implants are right for you!