A New Smile With Jawbone Grafting
November 4, 2021
If you lose mass and density in your jaw following tooth loss, this could lead to negative changes in facial symmetry, further tooth loss, and other complications. However, your Kansas City, MO, dentist can actually rebuild and restore your smile with a ridge augmentation procedure, also known as jawbone grafting.
The Dangers of Tooth Loss
When we begin to lose our natural teeth, this could mean serious trouble for our oral health. Trouble eating and speaking clearly could develop, as could misalignment due to the gaps in the smile. Pressure from missing teeth means a greater likelihood of TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). Eventually, the gradual breakdown of your jaw could lead to further tooth loss and an aged appearance. This breakdown happens as the body prevents or diverts nutrients, starving the bone around your missing teeth of phosphorus and calcium.
The Grafting Procedure
The loss of mass and density means not only a greater risk of further tooth loss but that you could develop an aged appearance, with sunken cheeks and even a ptotic chin more likely. This breakdown also means your smile could be unable to support dental implants to replace your missing teeth. Fortunately, we can rebuild what has been lost. Using tissue taken for the back of your jaw or your hip, or from donor or synthetic sources, we apply new bone structure to the areas that have lost mass and density. These bond with the bone tissue, fortifying it and making it ready for dental implant placement. We also use local anesthetic and dental sedation to ensure you remain calm and comfortable throughout the repair, and that you have little to no memory of it at all.
Treating Tooth Loss
When we insert the dental implant into your newly restored jaw, these act as new roots, allowing the body to resume the flow of nutrients to the bone tissue. Over time, this stimulates the growth of bone tissue to keep your smile whole and healthy, allowing you to maintain your facial structure and allowing your new teeth to last for decades to come, possibly even a lifetime. If you have any questions about how we address missing teeth and the broken-down jaw structure, then contact our team today. Now is a great time to see us, so we can offer care before the hectic holiday season makes your schedule much easier. You can also use your dental insurance benefits before they expire at the end of December.
Do You Have Questions About Ridge Augmentation?
Even if your smile has changed due to missing teeth, we can help rebuild function and beauty with oral surgery. To learn more about oral surgery and dental sedation, then schedule a consultation by calling Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry of Kansas City, MO, today at 816-427-4018.