With a little preparation, you can make sure that you get much more from your next trip to the dentist. Your local dentist doesn't just check on the health of your teeth, they can also offer many other treatments. This website is designed to bring up the best info possible about the range of treatments a dental professional can offer you. We will be looking at dentures, tartar removal, tooth replacement and much more. While no one who contributes to this site is a trained dentist, everyone is extremely interested in researching and writing about this topic. Thank you for checking out this site.
If you act quickly after losing a tooth, you can replace that lost tooth with a dental implant. However, the moment you lose a tooth, a natural process of bone resorption begins. Your body will absorb the bone that once held the lost tooth in place.
So, if you lost a tooth but were unable to seek immediate dental help in the form of a dental implant, you probably don't have enough bone to support an implant at this time.
But what happens if you don't have enough bone for an implant when you need it?
You'll Need a Bone Graft
If, after performing an x-ray on your jawbone, your dentist finds that you don't have enough bone to support a dental implant, they will then refer you to a periodontist. This is because only a periodontist has the training to carry out the bone graft procedure. Using a bone graft, a periodontist can add enough bone to your jawbone to later place a dental implant.
The Periodontist Will Place the Bone Graft
Sometimes, bone grafts come from your own jawbone, and sometimes, they come from other human donors. Your periodontist first has to decide which type of bone graft will be sufficient for your bone loss case. If you have lost much of the bone in the area where you lost the tooth, you'll need a block bone graft. Block bone grafts are suitable for severe bone loss.
For minor bone loss, a socket graft is suitable. The periodontist places the bone graft directly into the socket where the tooth once was. These grafts take three months or more to heal. However, if you need a bone graft in your upper jaw, close to the sinus cavity, you may need a sinus lift procedure.
The upper jawbone is often not stable enough to support a dental implant, especially after bone loss. So, the periodontist will place a graft made from horse bone, which dissolves more slowly than human bone, to bolster the area in preparation for the implant.
If you need an equine or horse bone graft, then you'll need to wait even longer for the graft to heal fully before your periodontist can place the dental implant.
Don't worry if you don't have enough bone for an implant at the moment. With a periodontist's help, you can have your implant in place soon, depending on the bone graft type needed.
Share24 March 2020
