Many people make the mistake of thinking that their oral health only concerns their teeth and gums, but the truth is that the jaw bone also plays a major role in the overall health of the mouth. If your jaw bone has suffered damage, degeneration, or other trauma, you may need to use bone grafting to restore sufficient strength to the affected areas. With a stronger jaw bone, you can receive dental treatments like implants that can restore a full, attractive smile.

How Does Bone Grafting Work?
Bone grafting is a relatively common procedure meant to enhance jaw bone strength. It involves taking a section of bone from another area of your body or using a special bone grafting material to strengthen and reinforce your jaw bone. After a few months, the graft creates enough new bone to help dental implants sit securely in your mouth.

Do You Need Bone Grafting?

Beyond helping you talk and chew, your teeth also stimulate your jaw bone every time they touch. This stimulation encourages bone regeneration, which means that losing teeth over time leads to a thin and brittle jaw bone as well. Implants cannot be successfully placed into bone that isn’t strong and durable. Only bone grafting can reverse the problem and make dental implants feasible. [Read more…]

People with a full and healthy set of teeth may take them for granted. However, if you have lost some of your teeth to injury or decay, you can only dream of the ability to smile, talk, and chew without difficulty. Believe it or not, the rehabilitation of your mouth may not be out of your reach. It is possible to use dentures and implants to recreate a full set of teeth and restore normal appearance and function to your mouth once again. Even if your jawbone has sustained damage over time, bone grafting can help to strengthen your jaw for dental implants.

How Does Bone Grafting Work?
Bone grafting is a relatively common procedure that involves taking a section of bone from another area of your body or using a special bone grafting material to strengthen and enhance your jaw bone. After a few months, the graft creates enough new bone to help dental implants sit securely in your mouth.   [Read more…]

When you experience tooth loss, the primary consequences on your mind are most likely the impacts to your ability to chew, smile, and speak without challenges. There is no doubt that losing one or more teeth causes psychological and functional issues, but there is also a hidden consequence of tooth loss: subsequent bone loss.

Why Does Tooth Loss Cause Bone Loss?

The jawbone requires stimulation in order to maintain its form and density. The teeth play a primary role in providing this vital stimulation. Every time the teeth make contact with each other, small stresses are sent down into the bone to stimulate rebuilding and strength. When you lose a tooth or a number of teeth, the bone loses its source of stimulation. This leads to a significant decrease in the width, height, and volume of the bone. Believe it or not, the bone suffers a full 25 percent decrease in width during the first year alone, and a 4 millimeter decrease in height after a few years. [Read more…]