Did you know that when you are missing a tooth, this loss can affect more than your appearance? In fact, tooth loss can also cause serious damage to your jawbone. When you do not have a full smile, your jawbone lacks the stimulation it needs to stay fully healthy. Over time, it begins to deteriorate and lose its density. In severe cases, this can affect your face’s structure, causing it to sink. When the jaw loses density, it can become increasingly difficult to place implants, which then causes the deterioration to continue. However, even in cases when the bone is severely damaged, there are surgical solutions that can help you achieve a full, healthy smile again. In today’s blog, your Conroe, TX dentist discusses bone grafting and sinus lifts and describes how each works together to provide a surface for implants.

The Need For A Healthy Surface

Bone grafts and sinus lifts are so important because to receive implants, you must have a healthy jaw. If the bone is too deteriorated, there isn’t a sufficient surface to place the implants. They won’t fuse properly and cannot provide you with the tooth replacement you need. Implants are so effective because they go into your gumline and fuse to the jaw, creating a permanent replacement option. Moreover, they stimulate your jaw keeping it strong and healthy. When you lack proper density, not only will implants be unattainable, but your jawbone will continue to not receive proper stimulation, causing the deterioration to continue. This is an undesirable cycle, but bone grafts and sinus lifts can solve this problem.

Ridge Augmentation Is Immensely Helpful

Bone grafting (also known as ridge augmentation) primarily addresses your lower jaw. This is a great example of modern medicine and technology; the procedure consists of your doctor taking healthy tissue from elsewhere in your body and grafting it to the damaged areas of your mouth. The most common sources are from healthy portions of your mouth and the hip bone. Moreover, if you do not have sufficient tissue in these places, your healthcare professional can source tissues from donors or even create the material synthetically. Once the tissue source is secured, your doctor carefully bonds it to your jawbone. Over time, it fuses to your jaw, providing you with a fortified bone that can receive implants.

How Sinus Lifts Work In Conjunction With Grafting

While ridge augmentation addresses your lower jaw, mostly, sinus lifts help with the upper portion of your mouth. To complete this procedure, your doctor raises the floor of your sinus to uncover undamaged bone tissue that can provide a healthy surface for implants. Once this procedure is done, your oral healthcare professional can provide you with an array of implants ranging from crowns to dentures to bridges and more.

Schedule Your Appointment Today

To schedule an appointment to learn more about bone grafts and sinus lifts, we invite you to contact The Dental Centre of Conroe in Conroe, TX by calling 936-441-4600.