I love that my family dentist is tech-savvy. It's so easy to book a dentist on his smartphone app if I have a tooth problem or if anyone in my family needs emergency problems (I can choose either my normal dentist or another dentist in his practise depending on availability). He also has some great cameras so that we can see exactly what is going on during treatment. I prefer not to see this, but my kids love to be able to see the dentist using his specialised tools to clean and repair their teeth. This blog has some tips on finding a tech-savvy dentist to help give your family the best possible dental care.
Dental implants are the closest thing to a natural tooth available today. One of their most amazing attributes is that they stimulate bone growth. This growth helps to hold the dental implants in place, in a somewhat similar manner to natural teeth. The biggest difference is that dental implants are composed of titanium and porcelain.
However, although dental implants will encourage bone growth once placed in a jawbone, they cannot be placed in areas of low bone density. In other words, if there isn't enough bone, dentists will need to place a bone graft before dental implants can be installed.
If you are considering replacing a lost or damaged tooth with a dental implant, the following information will help you to decide whether you need a bone graft or not.
Bone Resorption Occurs Quickly
When you lose a tooth, your body senses that and removes the bone that once played a role in anchoring the now-absent tooth. After all, components such as calcium that make up bone can be used to strengthen bones in other parts of your body. Unfortunately, this process progresses quickly after a tooth is lost.
This means that if you leave it too late before you begin exploring the idea of dental implants, you will likely need a bone graft. However, if you act quickly, you could very well have sufficient bone for the implant.
Gum Disease Destroys Bone
Even bone cannot stop the advance of gum disease. If it's severe enough, periodontitis will damage teeth, gums and bone. This is why dentists sometimes extract teeth, allow some healing to occur and then place a bone graft. There is so little bone to hold the tooth in place that a bone graft is required.
In this case, a dental implant is much stronger and reliable than a wobbly tooth that may later fall out. However, before your dentist places the bone graft, they will attempt to treat the gum disease. Otherwise, any newly placed bone could suffer the same fate as the original bone.
Act Quickly
A study carried out from 2006 to 2014 discovered that just over half of 792 participants receiving dental implants needed bone grafting. Unfortunately, patients that need bone grafting before dental implants need to wait a few months for the grafts to integrate with and strengthen the area.
If you have lost a tooth, remember that bone resorption moves quickly. The faster you place the dental implant the better.
Share