When you lose your natural teeth, this could lead to more than just a gap in your smile. Missing teeth could allow the jawbone structure to lose mass and density, so you have an aged appearance and your jaw may not be able to support dental implants. But your Cerritos, CA, dentist can strengthen weakened jawbone structure with grafting, so your smile is ready to support dental implants.
Tooth Loss and Weakened Jawbone Structure
Why happens to our smile once we lose our natural teeth? This could complicate how you eat and speak, and could lead to embarrassment regarding your appearance. But the body will also respond by suspending the flow of calcium and phosphorus to the jaw. Without these nutrients, the bone tissue breaks down, losing mass and density to cause further tooth loss and an older appearance. If the jaw weakens enough, there may not be enough structure to support dental implants, severely limiting your tooth replacement options. But with grafting, we can strengthen the lower jaw and make it implant-ready!
The Bone Grafting Process
The procedure begins with our team gathering detailed digital images and x-rays of your smile, so we can plan the procedure in detail. To ensure your comfort, we will administer a local anesthetic to the area being treated, along with dental sedation to help you reach a state of calm and relaxation, even if you have dental anxiety.
We then apply new tissues to the weakened portions of your jaw. These could be taken from your hip, jaw, or knee, or through donor or synthetic sources. These offer a material that new bone tissues can grow around, rebuilding what has been lost and providing a base to support one or more dental implants. If the upper jaw, we can discuss a procedure known as a sinus lift, in which we raise the sinus floor to cover new structures to support replacement teeth.
Placing Dental Implants
Once the grafted area heals, our team can move forward with dental implant placement, inserting these biocompatible titanium implant posts into the jaw. The body will accept them as natural bone tissue, and the natural flow of calcium and phosphorus to the jaw resumes, so your new teeth can stay in place for decades to come and you can preserve your youthful facial structure too. If you have missing teeth and time has elapsed, we can help strengthen the weakened portions of your jaw so you can move forward with dental implants, enjoying a full smile that looks and functions like a natural one. If you have any questions, then contact our team today.
TALK TO OUR TEAM ABOUT BONE GRAFTING
To schedule a consultation and prepare your smile for placement with Cerritos Dental Surgery in California call 562-584-4082 today.
