Dental Implants Prevent Bone Loss
Portland, OR
 The loss of a tooth can lead to a lot of unfortunate issues. Eating and speaking are immediately affected when teeth are lost. One thing that many people do not realize about the loss of a tooth is that it can have a far reaching negative impact on the rest of your oral health. The loss of a tooth can lead to bone loss in the jaw and in-turn, the loss of surrounding teeth. Dental implants are the most effective method for preventing bone loss in the jaw.
How does bone loss work?
When teeth are damaged beyond repair, many times people mistakenly believe the cheapest and most effective method of dealing with it is removal. In the short term, they are correct; tooth removal is a cheap way to deal with a severely damaged tooth.
The problem comes several months down the line when the tooth has not been replaced. As soon as the tooth is removed, the bone in the jaw ceases to be stimulated. The jawbone requires stimulation to maintain bone levels and without it will start to recede. After some time, the receding bone can start to affect the surrounding teeth.
Teeth depend on neighboring teeth for support and without them will start to loosen. Couple this with bone loss below the gum line and eventually the teeth surrounding a tooth extraction site will fail. Once the teeth on either side of an extracted tooth have failed, the problem can spread quickly. Deterioration of the bone and teeth will quickly ruin your mouth and is extremely costly in the long run. Bone loss within the mouth can lead to a real change in the appearance of the face.
Preventing bone loss in the jaw all boils down to replacing teeth when they are lost. This ensures that the jaw is constantly receiving tactile feedback in the form of biting and chewing.
The Role Dental Implants Play in Preventing Bone Loss
Dental implants are by far the most successful dental appliance at preventing bone loss and stimulating bone growth within the jaw.
A dental implant is made up of three parts ; post, abutment, and dental crown. The post is made of titanium and is the portion of the implant which is implanted into the bone of your jaw. Titanium is a biocompatible metal which means that the human body readily accepts it and is stimulated to grow around it.
Once the post has been placed we allow the site to heal for a period of six to nine months. During this time the bone in your jaw fuses with the titanium post. The rest of the dental crown is then placed upon the post. The implant will act exactly as your natural tooth would, allowing you to speak and eat normally.
At this point every time your bite comes together, either to eat food or to rest your bottom teeth against the top teeth, the jaw bone is stimulated and bone loss is prevented.
Schedule an Appointment for Dental Implants
If you are around Portland, please do not hesitate to schedule an appointment at our dental clinic. To learn more, give us Dougherty Laybourn Menashe Dental a call at 503-334-1141 today. |
