What makes dental implants such a great treatment is the fact that, just like your natural teeth, they are directly fused to your jawbone. It is because of this that dental implants work and feel just like any of your natural teeth. To get results this good, it is only natural that the treatment require a strong, healthy jawbone to be successful. Unfortunately, jawbone deterioration can interfere with getting the treatment you need. Today, Craig S. Donn is blogging from his Cherry Hill and Camden County, NJ practice to talk about jawbone deterioration, its effects, and what can be done to reverse the damage caused by it.
Defend Your Jawbone with Dental Implants
What many people do not realize about the jawbone is that, much like a muscle, it needs to be constantly exercised in order to stay healthy and strong. This exercise typically comes from the vibrations caused by food impacting on your teeth or even just talking to others. These vibrations travel down the tooth roots and into the jawbone. When you lose a tooth, the area of the jawbone that tooth was connected to is no longer getting the exercise it needs, and it will begin to deteriorate as a result. This deterioration can cause many different health problems and may even affect your overall appearance.
There are many potential cosmetic problems that can arise because of jawbone deterioration because our teeth and jawbone provide support for our facial structure. For instance, it is not uncommon for patients suffering from missing teeth and jawbone deterioration to experience a sunken appearance on account of their cheekbones appearing hollow. It is also common for the skin around the jawline to wrinkle on account of this loss of support. In fact, people suffering from the effects of jawbone deterioration tend to be described as appearing sickly or unhealthy.
If you are suffering from jawbone deterioration, it is still possible for you to continue on with dental implant treatment. This is because bone grafting can be performed, which is a procedure that takes bone from another part of the body, usually the hipbone, and grafts it to the deficient areas of your jawbone. If you are uncomfortable using samples taken from your own body, it is also possible to use synthetic or heavily sterilized animal bone instead. By using bone grafting, it is possible for us to restore you jawbone back to the point where it can properly support dental implants.
Call and Schedule a Consultation in Cherry Hill and Camden County, NJ
It is for the reasons above that we recommend our patients with missing teeth seek treatment with dental implants as soon as possible. If we can begin your treatment soon enough, you can be enjoying your beautiful new replacement teeth before your jaw even has time to begin deteriorating. If you would like to learn more about bone grafting or the benefits of dental implants, we encourage you to contact us and schedule a no-obligation consultation with dental implant provider Dr. Craig S. Donn today.