When you lose your natural teeth, this could leave your jawbone vulnerable to loss of mass and density. A breakdown linked to additional missing teeth and an aged appearance. This weakened structure could also be unable to support dental implants, limiting your tooth replacement options. At your Metairie, LA, oral surgery clinic, we can help with jawbone grafting and implant placement!
Tooth Loss and Weakened Jaws
The body will take notice of your missing roots, and in response will suspend or divert the flow of calcium and phosphorus to the area around the missing roots. Which means the jaw loses mass and density, which leaves it vulnerable to further tooth loss and for some, an increased risk of an aged appearance. This weakening could also mean there isn’t enough structure to support one or more dental implants. Since dental implants are the most lifelike and long-lasting tooth loss solution, we want to help restore the jaw and ensure it can support your new teeth, so you can smile with confidence again.
Jawbone Grafting
With a socket graft, our team will place a graft at the site of the missing or extracted tooth. The graft is secured with sutures and covered by a membrane, and as it heals it will become solid bone structure, which usually takes about three to six months. We then examine your smile with a 3D cone-beam system to assess density and make sure your new structures can support dental implants. If so, we will move forward with inserting the implant posts into the jaw, where they bond with the tissue through a process known as osseointegration, which helps them last for decades to come, while also preserving your newly grafted areas and keeping your smile full and beautiful.
Sinus Lifts
The socket grafting procedure is reserved for the lower jaw, but what about the upper jaw? For this portion of your smile, we will conduct a sinus lift to uncover new tissues that can support one or more dental implants. The procedure essentially increases the strength and density of the upper jaw near the sinuses. The entire process takes about six to ten months, and allows the sinus graft to become solid bone that can support new teeth. We will again examine the area with the 3D cone-beam system, and if the newly grafted area is ready, we will begin the implant placement process. If you have any questions about jawbone grafting, sinus lifts, or implant dentistry, then reach out to our team today.
Speak With Your Metairie, LA Dentist About Jawbone Grafting
Our team wants to help rebuild your smile and make sure you’re ready for dental implant placement. For more information on rebuilding your weekend jawbone structure, reach out to our Metairie, LA oral surgery clinic at (504) 455-7161.