What Are Your Options for a Weakened Jawbone?

When you consider your oral health, you probably think about your teeth and gums. Keeping these parts of your mouth in good shape can lead to long-term oral health, but they aren’t the only factor in determining your outlook. Your jawbone is the piece that holds everything else together. The bite power and stability of your teeth are dependent on the stability of your jawbone. When this bone loses mass, it can jeopardize the health and longevity of your teeth and gums. If your jawbone becomes weakened, what options do you have?

Your Jawbone Keeps Everything in Place

Your jawbone is the foundation for the rest of your oral tissues. Your teeth need the security of your jawbone to function their best. That’s why dental implants are considered the superior dental prosthetic — they are implanted into your jawbone, giving them a level of security that an option like dentures don’t have on their own. Periodontitis is an advanced form of gum disease that causes your jawbone to lose mass. As your jawbone degrades, the sockets for your teeth can widen and cause your teeth to become loose. Rebuilding your jawbone with bone grafting may help.

Bone Grafting Can Strengthen Your Jawbone

Bone grafting is a procedure that takes healthy tissue from a variety of sources and moves it to the site that has been weakened or degraded. This can be done by using your own healthy bone tissue from elsewhere in your body, or by using artificial tissue. In either case, the goal is to rebuild the degraded bone tissue in your jaw and restore its strength and structure. While your bones are strong and durable, your bone density is a delicate thing. Once you lose bone mass, you don’t have a wealth of options to repair this damage. Bone grafting gives you hope.

Bone Grafting Has Many Benefits for Your Teeth

The loss of bone mass in your jaw can have serious oral health implications that follow you throughout life. While bone grafting may not be right for every individual case of bone loss, it can likely provide you with serious benefits for your teeth. Bone grafting can be used to prevent shifting in your bite by holding your teeth in proper alignment. Bone grafting may prevent tooth loss by securing vulnerable sockets. If you have already experienced tooth loss, bone grafting may give you the support you need for dental implants.

Learn More About Bone Grafting at Cerritos Dental Surgery

If you have experienced damage from tooth loss or periodontitis, your jawbone may be vulnerable. Bone grafting can repair this damage and strengthen your jawbone. At Cerritos Dental Surgery, we can walk you through the procedure for bone grafting step by step so that you feel comfortable with treatment. Schedule an appointment at Cerritos Dental Surgery in Cerritos, CA by calling 562-584-4082.