Can I Still Get Dental Implants if I have Jawbone Recession?
Dental implants are hands down the most natural-appearing and comfortable replacement for missing teeth. You care for them just as you would your natural teeth and can count on them to give you a long-lasting, even lifelong smile that others won’t be able to tell isn’t your own.
Part of their realistic appeal, however, can cause problems for people with weakened or inadequate bony tissue in the jaw. Implants are anchored directly into your jawbone and require a strong, solid base to remain secure. Not everyone has the healthy bone tissue necessary for dental implants. What’s the answer? Bone grafting.
Ramesh K. Sunar, DMD, is a top-rated dental implant specialist who provides insight regarding bone grafting as a relatively simple solution for strengthening the bony tissue in your jaw and making implants part of your future.
Why would I need bone grafting?
Dental implants include the crown or “tooth” you see above the gumline, a titanium screw that is surgically secured in your jaw, and a tiny device (abutment) that connects the crown to the screw. Over time, the bone in your jaw fuses with the implanted screw so that it functions as a root and holds the dental implants in place.
When you experience jawbone recession or the loss of healthy bone in the jaw, you lose the supportive foundation an implant needs to remain secure.
Interestingly, one of the most common reasons for jawbone recession is missing teeth. A natural tooth root interacts with the jawbone when you chew and stimulates bony tissue to remain dense and strong. When missing teeth aren’t replaced, bone tissue in your jaw begins to recede and lose its density.
Other conditions that can cause jawbone recession include:
Dentures and bridgework to replace missing teeth, which ride on top of the gums and don’t interact with the jawbone
Periodontal (gum) disease, which, when left untreated, can cause tooth and bone loss
Trauma to the jaw
Severe bite abnormalities
Bone grafting can reverse bone loss and help restore the strong jawbone you need for dental implants. And it’s not nearly as complicated as it may sound.
What’s involved in a bone grafting procedure?
Bone grafting is a minor surgical procedure that Dr. Sunar performs in-house at the Charlotte Dental Implant Center. After injecting local anesthetic to numb the targeted treatment area, he makes small incisions in the gum tissue to access the bone beneath.
Dr. Sunar then applies bone grafting material to the exposed bony tissue. The grafting material is covered with a collagen membrane and provides a type of scaffold or framework upon which your body builds new bone. This natural process continues over a lifetime.