Maintaining good oral health allows you to have healthy teeth and a bright smile. To make this happen, you also have to preserve your teeth’s underlying structures like your jawbone. You could lose your jawbone because of different factors like tooth loss. But due to dental technology advancements, dental implants have been made available as a dependable solution to prevent and reverse jawbone loss. Dentists at the Suncreek Dental Group can educate you about dental implants and how they can preserve your jawbone, ensuring long-term oral health.
Understanding Jawbone Loss
If you lose a tooth due to extraction or an accident, the underlying bone starts to deteriorate because of a lack of stimulation. Such a process is called bone resorption, which can result in jawbone shrinking and weakening. While dental bridges and dentures can effectively restore the functionality and look of missing teeth, they do not address bone loss. This is where implants come in handy.
What to Know About Dental Implants
Implants are titanium posts that your dentist will surgically place into your jawbone. They serve as the root of your new tooth. Titanium is a biocompatible material, which allows the dental implant to fuse with the surrounding jawbone. Such integration is known as osseointegration and offers a solid foundation for a crown, denture, or bridge that the implant supports.
As the dental implant integrates with your jawbone, it stimulates its surrounding tissues. Such stimulation signals your body to supply nutrients to the jawbone. This promotes bone growth and prevents resorption. Dental implants mimic the tooth-root system in your mouth, helping maintain jawbone density and integrity.
Dental implants provide other benefits over conventional tooth replacement options. They don’t depend on neighboring teeth for support, unlike dental bridges and dentures. Moreover, they offer a natural chewing and biting experience, improving overall oral function.
To prevent jawbone loss, timely intervention is necessary. Once you lose a tooth, you must seek dental implants as soon as possible to preserve your bone structure and prevent complications. Even if you have lost a significant amount of jawbone, techniques like bone grafting can rebuild and strengthen your jawbone before an implant can be placed.
The Osseointegration Process
Below is an explanation of how osseointegration takes place:
After your dentist places the implant into your jawbone, osseointegration starts. The integration can take weeks or months. During this time, you must maintain good oral hygiene and pay attention to the post-operative care instructions, ensuring you follow every one of them. This is important to prevent implant failure. After the completion of the osteointegration process, your implant is anchored in your jawbone where it functions like the root of your natural tooth. Osseointegration is important for the success of your implant for the following reasons:
- Stability. Osteointegration offers stability for your implant, so it can function like a real tooth.
- Bone stimulation. Osseointegration allows for jawbone stimulation, promoting bone growth and ensuring you do not suffer further bone loss.
- Longevity. Osseointegration should succeed to ensure your implant’s longevity.
- Jaw health. As the osseointegration process prevents bone loss, it contributes to your overall jaw health, which maintains your face’s natural shape.
Dental Implant Benefits
Dental implants provide different benefits beyond tooth replacement. They look, function, and feel like natural teeth. Also, they do not require changing other teeth, enhancing long-term oral health. With proper care, implants can last a lot of years, which makes them a cost-effective option over time. Implants offer a dependable, long-term option for missing teeth. Aside from restoring your natural teeth’s aesthetics and function, implants contribute to your jawbone’s overall health, preventing bone loss. If you want to get dental implants, consult with a dentist to discuss your options.