Dental implants provide unparalleled restorative benefits to patients who’ve lost one or more teeth; unfortunately, not every tooth loss patient is a viable candidate for the tooth-root replacement procedure. Like your natural tooth roots, dental implants require enough healthy jawbone structure to hold and support them. If you lack sufficient jawbone, you may not be eligible for the prosthetic tooth roots, or you may have to undergo a jawbone-strengthening procedure, like a jawbone graft, before implant placement is possible. Allen implant dentist, Dr. Marco Cueva, explores how to prepare your jawbone for dental implants, depending on your specific situation.
Jawbone Grafting
Your jawbone can be deemed insufficient for dental implants for a number of reasons, such as atrophy following previous tooth loss, severe periodontal disease, an injury, a tumor, or a congenital defect. Regardless of the cause, anchoring a dental implant where there is insufficient bone requires reinforcement, and a jawbone graft is one of the most common ways to do it. Bone can be utilized from a donor source or a donor area of your own body and surgically grafted to the target area on your jawbone. Once healed, the additional jawbone tissue can anchor your dental implants and allow you to enjoy a full, healthy smile once again.
Sinus Lift
Unlike your lower dental ridge, which is supported by the formidable mandibular bone (lower jaw), the tooth roots on your upper dental ridge often extend past the thin wall of bone between your mouth and maxillary sinuses. When these teeth are lost, this thin wall of bone is typically not enough to support dental implants. By raising the sinus membrane and grafting donor bone into the sinus’ floor (the roof of the upper jaw), your newly-fortified upper dental ridge can allow for implants to be placed and stabilized.
Seek the Expertise of Your Allen Implant Dentist
To find out if you’re a candidate for dental implants, or to learn how a jawbone graft can help you become one, schedule an appointment with your Allen implant dentist by calling (972) 390-9944 today. Located in the 75013 area, we proudly welcome patients from Allen, Plano, Richardson, McKinney, Frisco, Fairview, Murphy, Wylie, Lewisville, Carrolton, and surrounding communities.
