Dental Implants Can Stop Bone Loss
Dental bone loss can lead to some unfortunate outcomes for those affected by it: loose teeth, lost teeth, and even changes to the structure of the lower part of one’s face. While bone loss in the jaw can occur for a variety of reasons, including gum disease, trauma, calcium deficiencies, or even certain medical conditions, one of the leading causes of dental bone loss is missing teeth that are either not replaced or that are replaced with superficial prosthetics that don’t replace the whole tooth, including conventional dentures and bridges. To stop bone loss from even starting when a tooth goes missing, it is best to replace it with the only technology that truly replaces every part of a missing tooth: a dental implant.
Understanding Dental Implants
Dental implants are a multi-part tooth replacement technology that mimic the key components of natural teeth. While conventional dentures and bridges simply replace the crown of the tooth, which then either rests upon the surface of the gums or relies upon the support provided by neighboring teeth to function, dental implants replace a key part of the tooth below the surface of the gums: the dental root.
During the placement of a dental implant, a small, thin post made of titanium is first embedded into the jawbone where it will then remain, hidden below the surface of the gums. This is called the implant fixture, and it is the part of the dental implant that stands in for the dental root of that tooth. It is through this part of the implant that the repeated force of biting and chewing is channeled into the jawbone, which is much more capable of withstanding this pressure than the teeth themselves (replacement or otherwise).
One that part of the implant has healed in place and become one with the jaw, a small connecting piece is attached to the top of it. Attached to the implant below the surface of the gums, it then extends above the surface when the implant crown can later be attached. Once it is fully installed, this new prosthetic tooth looks exactly like a natural tooth, as all of the operative parts are hidden either below the gums or underneath the implant crown. Due to the way they all work together, dental implants actually work like regular teeth, too!
How Dental Implants Stop Bone Loss
In addition to providing and effective and attractive solution to missing teeth, dental implants can also help to prevent bone loss by replacing the part of the tooth that connects the tooth to the jawbone. While it might seem that this connection would primarily benefit the tooth – indeed, the jawbone provides a crucial element of support for the tooth by both holding it in place and absorbing much of the pressure that it creates by biting and chewing – the jawbone is also sustained by this connection.
This is because much like the strength of the bones in our body are supported by the weight that they support (for this reason it is imperative to keep exercising as we age, even if it’s just simple walking!), the strength and health of the bone mass in our jaw is supported by the pressure that one’s teeth channel into the jaw. When a tooth goes missing, the pressure into that part of the jaw is also absent. By replacing the tooth with a dental implant instead of conventional dentures, the jawbone/tooth connection is recreated, thereby stopping dental bone loss in its tracks and putting you back on the road to healthy bone mass.