Can Dental Implants Reverse Bone Loss?
November 29, 2016
Patients who are trying to decide between bridge work, dental implants, and traditional dentures are often met with confusing information. That is why periodontist Dr. Kenneth Cavallari and the office staff make patient education a priority. Since the question of tooth replacement is complex and different solutions work for different cases, it is important for each of our patients to understand how treatments fit into their overall oral health profile.
That being said, if you are facing bone loss that is primarily caused by the deterioration of bone that used to support teeth, then dental implants are usually the best option. In many cases, they even help to regenerate bone.
How Dental Implants Fight Bone Loss
Your teeth are anchored by their roots that form a stable foundation at the point where the tooth meets the jaw bone, and that is part of why people’s teeth are typically anchored so well. When you lose teeth, the root is gone, and the bone recedes away from the site of the missing tooth. Dental implants are anchored in the jawbone. The pressure and anchoring procedure produces the same response in the bone as your tooth’s natural root, like a replacement root. This leads to a few beneficial changes:
• Stimulating bone regeneration in minor cases of bone loss
• Preventing future degeneration
• Preventing the destabilization of remaining teeth
• Preserving your natural smile
Bone Grafts and Dental Implants
In some cases, the kind of bone regeneration that dental implants can stimulate is not enough. This usually happens when bone loss is so severe that the anchors for the implants might not be stable. When that happens, bone regrowth typically needs to be stimulated with grafts. Only a doctor can determine whether an individual needs a bone graft, but typically grafts allow for the regeneration of lost bone, helping rebuild your jaw.
If you are looking at dental implants or other methods of tooth replacement, please contact our offices to make an appointment with Dr. Cavallari so that you can review your options.