The health and integrity of your jawbone can be impacted by a variety of different factors. One of the most notable factors is tooth loss. The loss of the tooth’s root weakens the stimulation in your jawbone structure, which gradually leads to a loss of mass and density. Several other factors may be congenital, such as a deformity in the size, shape, contour, or symmetry of your jawbone structure. Your jawbone structure is the foundation of your smile and oral health, and in such cases, augmenting its size, shape, and/or mass and density can greatly improve several long-term aspects of your oral health.
Ridge augmentation through surgical grafting
Ridge augmentation can describe a variety of specific procedures designed to boost the health, strength, integrity, and function of your jawbone structure. It often includes the surgical grafting of donor bone material onto a small area of the dental ridge, adding mass and density to that area to improve the overall integrity of the ridge’s structure. This can enhance the support that the foundation offers your teeth, as well as provide a more ample area to place one or more dental implants if your goal is to replace one or more lost teeth.
Preparing for dental implant placement
Preparing for dental implant placement is a common reason why ridge augmentation through grafting is recommended. Dental implants are designed to help you recover from tooth loss and rebuild your smile with more comprehensive results than traditional restorations. They accomplish this by replacing the roots of your lost teeth and providing similar supportive posts for your dental restoration. However, before the implant posts can be placed, the supportive jawbone structure must be adequately strong and dense to accept them and fuse to their surfaces. If it isn’t, then augmenting the dental ridge with jawbone grafting could be necessary.
Correcting bone malformations
Some concerns with your jawbone structure may not be the result of an oral health condition. Congenital malformations of the jawbone can be present at birth, or traumatic injuries may result in improper healing of the bone structure. In such cases, the improper bone formation can have several negative impacts on your oral health and bite function. Depending on the nature and extent of the problem, ridge augmentation may be a part of the surgical treatment required to correct it.
Learn if you can benefit from ridge augmentation
If you need to strengthen your jawbone before receiving dental implants, or correct a malformation in the bone structure, then find out if ridge augmentation surgery can help. To learn more, schedule a consultation with us by calling the office of Dr. Stuart Dexter in Prairie Village, KS, today at 913-362-8200.