Dental Implants can decrease the risk of Bone Loss

Dental Implants are an advanced tool that restores the function and appearance of the mouth

Sometimes we cannot simply maintain the health of our teeth through preservation. There are often unseen obstacles which cannot be premeditated that affect the appearance of our smiles through losing or damaging a tooth. North Shore Restorative and Implant Dentistry in Long Island knows that these dental accidents can be very painful and inconvenient and that’s why we’re happy to offer dental implants which can maintain the look of your smile as well as your bone which can recede due to missing teeth.

Bone loss can be a serious problem with health implications

Bone loss will most commonly occur in the jaw bone directly below where the vacant space is. This occurs because bone needs to be stimulated in order to grow or maintain its size, therefore with no tooth present, the bone will think it’s no longer needed and recede. This is why it is so important to replace missing teeth as soon as possible because if spaces are left for extended periods of time you may require further surgery.

North Shore Restorative and Implant Dentistry can provide bone grafts

If you have left your lost tooth area vacant for too long you may require bone grafting. During this procedure we will source a small amount of bone from another part of the body and surgically REPLACE it where the bone loss has occurred. It will be secured with titanium screws so that both sections of bone can merge over a period of 3-6 months. Once your bone has completely merged our primary doctor, Dr. Gardner will be able to perform the dental implant procedure as usual. The dental implant procedure will involve the REPLACEion of a small titanium support which will act as the ‘root’ to your new tooth. Later when the site is completely healed your dentist will place a crown over the top so that:

• The structure of your mouth and jaw is restored.
• The functionality of your jaw operations are restored to improve chewing and speaking
• Your pearly white smile will be complete with the final puzzle piece

Bone grafting is not the only tissue problem that can occur within the mouth…

Another common problem our patients experience is the natural reduction of their gingiva (area of gum that supports and shields the tooth). Once this gum tissue has receded your body will be at higher risk from bacterial infection. The lost tissue will leave your teeth further exposed to penetration by potentially damaging plaque and bacteria which can lead to tooth decay, gingivitis and periodontitis. Other symptoms of gingiva reduction include:

• Teeth sensitivity felt in the roots of your teeth
• An unsightly appearance

The soft tissue graft procedure can help restore your gingiva

The gingiva tissue can be restored by one of our professional dentists. We utilise soft tissue grafting to restore the aesthetics and function of gum tissue by taking tissue from the roof of the mouth or gently removing unnecessary tissue from surrounding areas.

If you are interested in finding out more about North Shore Restorative and Implant Dentistry please do not hesitate to contact us.