If you’ve lost a tooth or have been struggling with a damaged one, dental implant surgery might be in your future. Dental implants are a revolutionary treatment option that can restore both appearance and function to your smile. However, before you proceed, it is essential to consider one crucial factor: Bone density.
In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of bone density in dental implant surgery, and why it’s an essential factor to consider.
What is Bone Density?
As the name suggests, bone density refers to the quality and strength of your jaw bone. The jawbone is responsible for supporting your teeth and allowing you to chew and speak normally. Over time, various factors can cause the bone to lose density and become weaker. These include tooth loss, gum disease, and certain health conditions.
Factors Affecting Bone Density
Several factors can contribute to bone loss or low bone density in the jaw, which can potentially compromise the success of dental implant surgery.
Our experienced dental implant surgeons will assess these factors during your initial consultation:
- Tooth Loss: The absence of natural tooth roots can lead to the deterioration of the surrounding bone due to lack of stimulation.
- Gum Disease: Advanced periodontal disease can cause damage to the bone and potentially weaken the stability of dental implants.
- Oral Health: Poor oral hygiene can eventually lead to bone loss and complicate the dental implant process.
- Age: The natural aging process can contribute to bone density loss in the jaw, making it crucial to assess candidacy in older patients.
- Osteoporosis: Patients suffering from osteoporosis might experience a reduction in bone mineral density, affecting their dental implant surgery eligibility.
Why is Bone Density Crucial for Dental Implants?
When you receive a dental implant, your oral surgeon will insert a titanium post, often referred to as a “fixture,” directly into your jawbone. This post is designed to hold and support a custom dental prosthetic, such as a crown, bridge, or denture.
For the implant to be successful, the jawbone must have enough bone density to support the fixture. If the bone is too weak, the implant may fail to fuse with the jawbone. This fusion process, known as osseointegration, is essential for the implant to provide stable, long-lasting support for your new teeth.
Adequate bone density is important for several reasons:
- Stability: A dense jawbone provides a strong and stable foundation for dental implants, ensuring they remain secure and in place.
- Osseointegration: Bone density affects the process of osseointegration – the fusion between the implant and the living bone. When implants tightly integrate with dense bone, it significantly improves the odds of a successful procedure and long-term durability.
- Longevity: Implants with proper bone density support have a higher success rate and are less prone to complications or failure over time.
Assessing Your Bone Density
Before undergoing dental implant surgery, your oral surgeon will carefully assess the density of your jawbone to determine if you are a suitable candidate. The evaluation typically involves a combination of visual examination, X-rays, and CT scans.
If the assessment reveals that your bone density is inadequate, there are options available to improve it. Bone grafting, for example, is a surgical procedure in which healthy bone material is transplanted into the area of deficiency to help rebuild the jawbone. It is also important to note that just because you may have poor bone density in the rest of your body, that does not mean that your jaws will have poor density.
How To Improve Bone Density With Bone Grafts
If you have insufficient bone density for dental implant surgery, it doesn’t mean all hope is lost.
Several bone grafting techniques can be used to restore or increase the volume of bone in the jaw.
Bone grafting techniques used at AZ Max:
- Ridge preservation: This procedure can be done immediately after tooth extraction to preserve the height and width of the alveolar ridge.
- Tunnel Graft: This technique is used to rebuild a narrow ridge. A vertical incision is made in the gum tissue near the site for implant placement, and a pocket is developed under the gum. Bone grafting material is then used to fill the socket to grow the width of the bone.
- Block graft: This technique is commonly used when a larger amount of bone is needed for implant placement. A piece of bone material is harvested from the jaw or another part of the body and placed in the area to replace missing tissue.
- Sinus lift: This procedure is performed when the sinus floor needs to be elevated due to inadequate bone height. A piece of graft material is placed between the maxillary sinuses and the jawbone to raise its level.
Our oral surgeons are leaders in the field of bone grafting and dental implants. We use the latest grafting technology like PRP, PRF, and stem cell transplants to improve the success and healing of bone grafts. If you have been told that your case is “too difficult” or “not possible” by other surgeons, book a consult with one of our surgeons today! AZ Max takes on hard cases and makes the impossible possible.
Dental Implants Mesa, AZ
AZ Max – Your Dental Implant Experts
At AZ Max Oral Surgeons, our experienced implant surgeons have years of experience in treating cases with a variety of bone density issues. If you’re considering dental implants and want to know more about the importance of bone density in your particular case, contact us today to book an appointment. With the latest technology and techniques, we can help restore your smile and give you a long-lasting solution to your missing teeth!
If you are searching for dental implants near me, book an appointment at one of our four locations in the Phoenix East Valley or Show Low, call or text (480) 830-5866 or complete the online booking form. We look forward to helping you restore your smile!
