How Do Dental Implants Prevent Bone Loss?
Losing one or more teeth can significantly impact your smile and bite function. It can make it hard to eat your favorite foods and cause you to feel unattractive and embarrassed to smile. Similarly, missing teeth causes a loss of chewing stimulation, gradually causing the underlying jawbone to shrink or weaken. It makes you vulnerable to further problems.
Similarly, since teeth and jawbone support your facial muscles, loss of teeth and jawbone causes these muscles to collapse, leading to facial sagging, premature aging, and wrinkles.
For these reasons, replacing missing teeth is essential as soon as possible. As far as your jawbone health goes, dental implants are your best option to maintain excellent jawbone density and health. Keep reading to learn how bone loss occurs and how dental implants can help prevent bone loss.
How Does Bone Loss Occur?
Like other bones and tissues in the body, the jawbone requires continuous stimulation to remain strong and healthy. Otherwise, it will re-absorb if not used.
Your teeth connect to the jawbone through the roots. The roots transmit the forces of biting and chewing into the jawbone, stimulating its growth and health. When you lose a tooth, the chewing forces transmitted to the jawbone through the root is gone too. In turn, the jawbone lacks stimulation and deteriorates.
The process of jawbone deterioration happens gradually. The bone begins to break down, and the body absorbs it. You can lose up to 25% of the bone mass within one year of losing the tooth. That’s why replacing a tooth with an implant is essential as soon as possible. While alternative treatments like dental bridges and dentures can replace missing teeth, they don’t have artificial roots that stimulate the jawbone.
What is a dental implant?
A dental implant is an artificial root and tooth system that replaces missing teeth. The treatment consists of a titanium implant post that replaces the lost tooth’s root and a dental crown, which replaces the natural tooth’s crown or outer structure. The dentist surgically implants the implant post into the jawbone, and a crown is placed over it. Thus, the implant looks, feels, and functions like a real tooth.
It’s worth noting that you should get a dental implant as soon as possible. Immediately a tooth is removed, and jawbone deterioration begins. The longer you wait, the fewer the chances of qualifying for dental implant treatment. You will need sufficient jawbone density to support a dental implant. Insufficient jawbone volume can’t adequately support a dental implant, increasing the risk of implant failure and other complications.
Therefore, speak with your dentist about a dental implant as soon as possible after losing your tooth. If you already have insufficient jawbone, the dentist can recommend bone grafting to rebuild and strengthen the jawbone to qualify for dental implants. Consult our dentist in New Westminster to determine whether you’re eligible for dental implant surgery and other restorative dental procedures.
How Dental Implants Prevent Jawbone Loss
One of the major benefits of using dental implants to replace missing teeth is that they can prevent bone loss. When the titanium implant post or screw is implanted into the jawbone, it fuses with the jawbone and other tissues of the mouth. The bone heals around the implant (now artificial root) in a process known as osseointegration. The implant post takes about 3-6 months to fuse with the jawbone completely.
Once it has healed, an implant functions like a natural tooth. It transmits the chewing stimulation to the jawbone, preventing further deterioration and improving your jawbone strength and health.
However, preventing bone loss isn’t the only benefit of replacing lost teeth with implants. Dental implants also:
- Improve your bite function
- Improve your smile and self-confidence
- Strengthens your facial muscles, reversing premature aging, wrinkles, and facial sagging
- Improve your speech
- Preventive the adjacent teeth from shifting out of position
- Improves your oral hygiene and health
Schedule an Appointment Today
Are you ready to get your dental implants in New Westminster? Contact Asante Dental Centre to begin your treatment today.