Addressing Jawbone Loss by Getting Dental Implants in Burlington, Ontario

The bone around your teeth can deteriorate for some reason. Your teeth are positioned on the jawbone, which surrounds and supports the roots of your teeth. If the jawbone reabsorbs or shrinks, your teeth will no longer have support, so they become loose. Thus, bone loss can also lead to tooth loss. 

A Burlington, Ontario family dentist will tell you that bone loss impacts how you speak, chew, and eat. Also, it can cause facial collapse. Thankfully, your dentist can recommend different teeth replacement options to address bone loss. 

How Jawbone Loss Occurs

Jawbone loss can result from tooth removal, knocked-out teeth, gum disease, traumatic jaw fractures, and misaligned jaw and teeth. Generally, the jaw bone movement’s stimulatory force is essential to strengthen your jawbone. This movement includes biting, talking, chewing, or opening and closing your mouth. If you lose a tooth because of surgical extraction, gum infections, or facial injuries, the bone underneath the tooth you lost doesn’t get this stimulation. As a result, your body believes the bone is no longer needed, so it recycles the bone cells to use for other body parts. 

Symptoms of Jawbone Loss

You will know you are losing a jawbone when you experience some symptoms. As bone loss happens gradually, the deterioration signs vary. But the most common symptoms of bone loss in the jaw include shifting and loose teeth, lips sinking inward, wrinkles around your mouth, and sharp teeth pain when you chew or pain. 

Slowing Down Bone Loss in Your Mouth

Dental implants can restore the function, feel, and look of your missing teeth. They are directly inserted into your jawbone, producing the stimulatory force your natural teeth offer. Other replacement options, such as dentures and bridges, don’t offer this benefit. In addition, bone deterioration can be lessened when you take steps to maintain the health and strength of your gums and teeth. 

If your dentist determines that you don’t have sufficient bone density to support an implant, they can recommend a procedure called bone grafting. This involves placing a graft material in your gum to integrate with your existing jawbone and promote the growth of a new one. In addition, you will need to get treatment for gum disease to address continuous bone loss in your jaw. Eating nutritious foods and making lifestyle changes may also be necessary to address and prevent further bone loss. Thus, you must stop poor oral health habits that can have detrimental impacts on the health of your jawbone.