Dental Implants for patients who have experienced bone loss
Common questions about dental implants in Windsor, can you wear dentures if you have bone loss? not enough bone for dental implant? and thought about using dental implants to stabilise your dentures. This procedure is known as denture stabilisation or implant over-dentures, and has helped scores of people to regain their ability to eat, speak and smile with confidence.
However, in some cases – particularly if you have been wearing dentures for several years – your dentist may have told you that you are unsuitable for dental implant treatment because you do not have enough bone density in your jaw.
Bone loss is a very common side effect of tooth loss. This is because, without the roots of the teeth in place, the jaw bone slowly starts to resorb or shrink back – it’s part of the reason that your once snug-fitting dentures can become loose and uncomfortable, and also often leads to a prematurely aged, sagging appearance to the skin around the jowls.
When dental implants were first introduced this was a problem. However, techniques have advanced greatly in the past 30 years, and it is now possible for most patients who have experienced bone loss to have dental implants; you might just require another procedure first.
Huge advantages in implantology mean that in most cases it is now possible to rebuild your jaw bone. In the lower jaw this is called a bone graft, while in the upper jaw the procedure is known as a sinus lift.
A bone graft uses donor bone from elsewhere in your mouth or from other tissue sources (which may be human, animal or synthetic) to rebuild your lower jaw bone and increase its density to the point where it can support dental implants. This commonly adds a few months to implant treatment, but is worth it in the long-term as it increases the chances of your implants’ success.
A sinus lift uses the contours of your face to provide a second chance at the functionality and reliability of dental implants. It involves lifting the lining of the sinus cavity and packing the space with bone or synthetic material. After a healing period, your implants can then be placed.
