If you have been told that you are not a good candidate for dental implants, you may not need to give up hope. We have a lot of experience helping patients who would otherwise be unable to receive a dental implant heal their gum, bone, and tissues to allow for a dental implant. How do we ready your mouth for the implants? Here’s what you need to know.
Gum disease, periodontal disease, and bone loss
Most people know about gum disease, even if you’ve never had an issue with it. But the actual term for this condition is periodontal disease, and in its advanced stages it can eat away at your gum line and even wear away your jawbone.
You can lose jawbone density in other ways.
Your jawbone can become weak or lose density for several reasons, some of which may not be under your control. Some health conditions can cause weakening of bones, and the jawbone can be affected. You can also have problems with bone loss in your jaw if you have missing teeth for a long period of time. The change in your bite and the wearing of food on the gum wears it away and weakens the bone.
Gum laser dentistry
Gum laser dentistry is a method of repairing damage to the gums. When gums have been severely compromised due to periodontal disease, they begin to recede, causing teeth to become loose and jeopardized. With the skilled use of lasers, our dentists can help repair and heal the gum in preparation for dental implants.
Bone grafts
If you have advanced periodontal disease or if you have severe bone loss for other reasons, you may need a bone graft on your jaw before it will be able to receive the implant. In this procedure bone from elsewhere in the jaw or from other parts of your body are harvested and implanted onto your jawbone. Bone grafts are safe, but you can’t put an implant on them until the grafted bone has had a chance to remodel onto the jawbone.
If you were previously told that you couldn’t get dental implants, contact us today for a complete examination and to discuss your options.
