Jawbone Loss And Deterioration

Have you ever seen anyone with their dentures out?  Their face collapses inward.  This is due to bone and tissue loss as a result of teeth extractions.  Shortly after the loss of teeth, the jawbone associated with missing teeth rapidly dissolves and shrinks. 

Dental implants and bone grafting prevent and stop this continual bone loss.

Reasons for Jawbone Loss

Tooth Extractions
When an adult tooth is removed and not replaced, bone deterioration will occur.  The bone no longer receives the necessary stimulation and begins to break down and resorb.  This can be prevented by Socket Grafting at the time of extraction and/or implant placement.

Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease is an ongoing infection of the gums that gradually destroys the support of your natural teeth.  If not treated early, the bone and tissue that hold the teeth in place deteriorates.  This deterioration can be severe and leaves a condition in which the quantity of bone is insufficient for implant placement.  To correct this situation, bone will need to be grown.  This is called Bone Augmentation.

Dentures and Partial Dentures
Unanchored dentures are placed on top of the gumline and do not provide any direct stimulation to the underlying bone.  This type of denture accelerates bone loss and eventually leads to problems with eating and speaking.  It is best to treat this condition with implants before the bone loss becomes severe and the solutions are more limited and expensive.