When you lose one or more teeth, this could eventually lead to a weakened jawbone. In addition to an older appearance, this could mean further tooth loss and limit your ability to receive dental implants. In today’s blog, your Conroe, TX, dentist talks about how we rebuild the weakened portions with grafting and sinus lifts.
The Loss of Your Structure
How does a smile lose structure in the jaw? Well, when we lose natural teeth the body will respond by suspending the flow of calcium and phosphates to the area of the jaw around the missing teeth. Without these nutrients, the bone tissue then loses mass and density, breaking down with time. This not only means additional missing teeth, but you could develop an aged appearance as well. These weakened portions can no longer receive dental implants, which could preserve the smile, as there isn’t enough jawbone to support them. Which is why procedures to rebuild what has been lost, such as grafting and sinus lifts, are so important.
Grafting and Sinus Lifts
For the lower jaw, we could offer grafting. This essentially involves adding new structure to the weakened areas, rebuilding them and providing enough structure to support one or more dental implants. The structure could be added from tissue taken from the jaw or hip, or from donor or synthetic sources. For the upper portion, we will conduct a sinus lift, in which we raise the sinus floor to uncover structure that can support new implants. With both options, we plan the procedure in detail with digital imaging technology, and we’ll provide anesthesia and sedation to ensure the experience is a comfortable one for you. In fact, you will likely have little to no memory of it at all.
Moving Forward With New Teeth
Once the area heals, we will move forward with securing one or more dental implants. Once these are in place, the body accepts them as new roots and provides new doses of calcium and phosphates again, preserving your jaw and ensuring your new teeth can last for decades to come. We will complete an individual one with a crown, which offers double chewing surfaces and a lifelike appearance. Our team could also use multiple implant posts to support a set of dentures. If you have any questions about grafting or sinus lifts, or about implant dentistry to address the gaps in your smile, then contact our team today to learn more.
Do You Have Questions About Restoring Your Smile?
If you’re interested in rebuilding your weakened structure and addressing your missing teeth, then contact The Dental Centre of Conroe in Conroe, TX by calling 936-441-4600 and schedule your next appointment with our team today.