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Why Rebuilding Bone Loss in Gums Is Essential for Dental Implants

Rebuilding Bone Loss in Gums — Why Is it Important

Implant dentists will often need to rebuild the bone before they can proceed to the replacement. But how do you rebuild bones? Well, have you ever heard of bone grafting and how it can affect potential tooth replacement? If you are looking to discover the benefits of the dental implants, bone grafting, and rebuilding bone loss in gums, you can always contact a dentist and see all the info you need.

Let’s talk about bone grafting and why rebuilding bones can be an important part of the procedure for people in need of dental implants.

Why Is There a Need to Rebuild Bones?

One thing that main people fail to understand is that bones can get damaged as well. After all, they change and adapt, so naturally, they can get damaged along with a tooth as well. Of course, we are talking about the alveolar bone. Tooth decay can affect the entire jaw — it can spread to gum tissue as well.

After a procedure, injury, or tooth loss, there is a chance that the person will experience dental bone loss as well. And if they aim to replace the missing tooth, the only thing left to do is to go for a surgical procedure to rebuild the bone.

The main problem here is that the new tooth, dental bridge, or anything else that needs to be done still requires the basis. And the basis is the bone of the jaw. In some cases, a broken tooth can lead to bone loss, and the remaining teeth might be affected as well if left untreated.

What Is Bone Grafting?

Rebuilding the bone is necessary in a couple of different cases. For example, periodontal disease can lead to bone loss, and natural teeth can get loose. The only way to save them is to rebuild the bone and strengthen the support teeth have in the jaw, allowing them to stay in place.

Of course, there is also a possibility that the bone is damaged after a tooth extraction, meaning that the thing that led to the extraction might have damaged the bone as well. That could be due to injury, tooth decay, gum disease, and others.

But even if there is no damage, dentists today often place bone grafting material in the socket after extraction, making it easier for you to replace missing teeth in the future. But what is bone grafting? And how does it help rebuild the bone?

When a person loses a tooth, the bone around that tooth might change as well. Since there is no longer a need to support the tooth, the bone will start melting away. The melting of the bone can affect the physical appearance and make it challenging to replace the missing tooth with implants or dentures.

And this is where bone grafting comes to light. It is a minor surgical procedure, and the dentist will finish it in no time. The idea behind it is to make a small incision on the gums, allowing them to access the bone. Once they are able to see it, they will add a grafting material, which will fuse with the bone allowing your body to naturally deposit new bone cells.

How Do You Rebuild a Bone?

The idea behind bone grafting is quite simple. Namely, the dentist will use processed bone minerals. The material used for grafting can come from one’s body, or it can be provided by a donor, animal, or even created in the lab. The reason why bone grafting is important is that it can open a whole new world of possibilities.

Yes, dental implants are incredible, but at the same time, they will strengthen the entire jaw. After tooth loss, the physical appearance can suffer. And we are not just talking about the smile. The material is placed on the part of the bone that’s missing, and it stimulates growth. As you probably know, our bodies create new bone cells all the time. The jawbone is quite adaptable, which is why orthodontists can adjust the position of teeth with braces and other methods.

But when an adult loses a tooth, it can cause their facial features to sag, changing their appearance and making them look older. So, replacing the missing part of the bone and stimulating the growth to create support for the rest of the jaw can make all the difference in the world.

Dental Implants

In a healthy jaw, it is quite simple to make a change and add implants that will feel natural. And as with anything related to teeth, oral hygiene will play an important role. In most cases, tooth implants will use a simple screw placed in the bone on top of which a dentist will place the new tooth or crown. This is what might cause potential problems.

With a damaged or missing bone, placing the screw will be nearly impossible. The dentist will first need to place a bone graft on the insufficient bone, allowing them to create a space for the dental implant. After the bone graft, the dentist will place a membrane on it, followed by suturing the gum tissue. Once the entire area heals, the dentist will be able to place teeth implants without any problems.

The rest of the procedure is identical to procedures done without bone loss. This means that the dentist will place the screw in the bone and the dental implant on top of it. Of course, all of these might sound scary, but the procedure is quite simple. In fact, dentists will often use only local anesthesia.