What happens if you don’t have enough bones for dental implants?

Written by: Bayside Dentists Team

What alternatives do you have if you do not have sufficient bone for dental implants? If you require extra bone grafting before having your implant, we’ll talk about some of your alternatives here.

When more usable bone is needed in a surgical , therapeutic area, bone grafts are often used. However, not everyone can get dental implants since their jawbones don’t have enough bone density.

A cancellous bone from another area of the body (often the hip or chin) would need to be surgically obtained, and then, once the area had healed, an implant could be placed.

Bone Loss in the Jawbone

This article will explain everything you have to know about dental bone grafts if you’ve heard or read that they may be necessary for dentures to be successful.

Many people who wish to have dental implants also suffer from bone loss. As a result, the process of Osseointegration, in which dental implants fuse with the jawbone, is hindered.

Therefore, implants might once again be considered for the patient after adequate healing time has passed following bone grafting to the intended implant site. The decision to get a dental bone graft in preparation for implant surgery is not one to be made lightly. In this article, we’ll address some of the most often asked questions in an effort to help you make up your mind.

Why does that happen?

When you lose a teeth, the surrounding bone will gradually dissolve while the bone in the rest of your jaw remains unaffected. Tooth decay and gum disease are just two of the numerous potential causes of tooth loss. The following are some possible triggers:

  • Gum disease or periodontitis.
  • Diseases and infections of the teeth
  • A traumatic injury
  • Some sort of design flaw

Dental implants can be very useful when:

  • Because without them, we’d have to cap perfectly good teeth
  • Due to the lack of healthy teeth or gums to utilise as anchors, getting a replacement or bridge can be challenging, if not impossible.

In the event that tooth extraction is necessary, protecting the surrounding bone is crucial. If you have dental implants, your jaw bone won’t deteriorate over time and your face won’t age prematurely. It is true that a bridge or anterior teeth denture will not help you maintain or protect your bone health.

Your dentist will need to perform an intraoral examination to measure the volume and density of your jawbone in the area where teeth are missing.

The implant site must have adequate bone structure to secure the fixture. The bone can indeed be regrown if there isn’t enough of it. Gum, if there isn’t enough of it, can be replaced, too. This procedure must be completed before implants may be inserted.

Bone augmentation is the medical term for the treatment, which has been around for quite some time.

Three Signs You Might Need a Bone Graft

Despite their reputation as a permanent solution, dental implants aren’t always possible without first performing a bone graft.

This is because there must be adequate bone in the implant site for the implant to heal to fuse to the bone, otherwise the implant will not be properly placed. Below, we will go through three indicators that could indicate the need for a bone graft.

1. Your Tooth Has Been Missing for a While

If you have dealing with tooth loss for a long time, the bone that had once support your teeth may have begun to weaken. Therefore, bone grafting must be performed to prevent the dental implant from failing once it has been placed.

2. You Had Periodontal Disease in the past

Gum disease, also called periodontal disease, can severely compromise your smile’s health. Specifically, it causes the jawbone to weaken, which is one of the most noticeable side effects. If you’ve had gum disease before, you might need bone grafting because the bone around your teeth and gums has weakened.

3. You Had an Injury to the Jaw

If you’ve ever had an accident to one jaw or face, you know that the bones in your jaw could be brittle from the impact. Therefore, if you’ve ever suffered a jaw injury, it’s crucial that your dentist examine your mouth to determine if a bone graft is necessary.

Do I Have Options If I Don’t Have Enough Bone Space?

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Yes. Even if you have poor bone density, getting an implant may still be possible. In order to qualify for the implant, though, you’ll need to undergo some extra dental procedures.

To start, your dentist will likely attempt bone regeneration. The grafting process does this. In order to prepare your jawbone for an implant, the influences the amount is surgically implanted into the area around the implant site. It’s a routine procedure that doesn’t hurt and is done while you’re sedated.

To further understand how the graft works, picture a framework like scaffolding onto which bone cells can attach and develop. Your dentist may recommend waiting a few months for the graft to take effect. After that, they’ll have a look at the location to see if the bone has healed properly to support the implant. If that’s the case, then you’re set to go.

It may be impossible to use a simple graft to repair severe bone loss. However, bone grafting restorations other than dental implants may be used to fill in the void left by a missing tooth.

Bone Grafting Options

When teeth are extracted, the jawbone can deteriorate as a result. Without replacing a missing tooth, the jawbone gradually recedes. The wearing of both a denture can hasten the pace of bone loss, which can have varying effects on various persons.

In the event of severe bone loss, it may not be possible to place a dentist. As a result, a bone graft procedure may be required. Most of the time, this is a straightforward treatment that only requires a local anaesthetic to complete. However, in more severe cases, hospitalisation and treatment while under general anaesthesia may be necessary.

After thoroughly evaluating your condition, we will use a dental Checkup to determine your bone measurement needs. Grazes to the bone can be caused in a number of ways, and while they may be uncomfortable for another week or two, they often cause very minimal swelling and discomfort. The swelling from your procedure can be decreased by taking medicine as prescribed and following your individual aftercare plan.

Sinus Grafting, Sinus Elevation Procedure

When the sinusitis has grown, bone is lost and the area looks sunken. Usually, this affects the upper jaw, specifically the area behind the teeth adjacent to the maxillary sinuses.

When a molar is lost in the upper jaw’s rear, the surrounding sinuses can encroach and cause fast bone resorption. When this occurs, sinus elevation may be necessary since there may not be enough bone for implants to be placed.

Internal Sinus Grafting

At the same time as the implant is being inserted, an internal sinuses graft is being conducted through the same site. Unlike an exterior sinus graft, this procedure doesn’t cause any significant edoema. When there is more than 0.1 mm of bone in between mouth and sinus, this procedure is typically performed.

External Sinus Grafting

Lifting the gum on the side of both the sinus and filling the resulting space with bone substitute is what’s known as an external sinus graft. About six months after the graft has healed, we insert the dental implants. The average time for this treatment, which is very common, is an hour. Due to the invasive nature of the operation, some post-operative discomfort, including swelling and pain, is to be expected.

In order to properly prepare the back and shoulder jaw for implant placement, a sinus graft is frequently necessary. They have a lengthier development period, which increases the time and expense of therapy. Your dentist won’t know if a septum graft is necessary until after he or she has performed a proper diagnostic technique, like a CT scan or MRI, to examine the area.

Bone Expansion

Occasionally, an implant site will have soft bone, but not enough width for a proper placement. The bone can be expanded softly to fix the problem without causing any discomfort.

Block Grafting

When a significant portion of bone is lost, it may be essential to reposition bone from another location to the affected area. Due of the discomfort it causes, this method is rarely employed.

Nerve Lateralisation

By shifting the artery in the jaw slightly, grafting can be avoided in certain patients. Using this method, implants can be inserted much more quickly than with a graft. Some people may experience a momentary lack of sensation in their lower lip as a result of this, but it usually returns and has no lasting repercussions.

What is used?

Various bone graft materials can be used. Calcium and phosphorus are used to create some, while other sources include bovine. These granules are implant-ready after being implanted under the mouth and left to heal for a few months. Implant placement and bone grafting can be done at the same time if only a limited amount of implants is needed.

Implant Procedure

The placement of a dental implant is a reasonably painless process that can be performed under local anaesthesia. As the surgeon prepares the implant site, you may feel a slight vibration, but it should be bearable.

This is because implant surgery is minimally invasive and does not leave any open wounds, thus the recovery is quick and easy. Conversely, you’ll be given a prescribed course of antibiotics to take it home and to use over the course of the next week.

In most cases, three to four months must pass after a single implant has been placed before a cap can be affixed. Bmd at the site of the missing tooth ultimately determines how long it will take for the socket to heal; the denser the bone, better quicker the healing. Making a crown that fits over the implant and looks and works like a natural tooth is the next stage.

Success rates

The historical success rate of dental implants is exceptionally high. Over ninety-five percent of treatments are effective, the highest success rate of any tooth replacement method, according to the study’s authors. Success rates are high even in areas with low bone density. And if the implant restoration is good and does its job, it can last for the rest of your life.

Implant failure is uncommon, but it does happen. There may be problems with the device fusing to the bone, or the implant may become loose for other reasons.

Overload can occur when there aren’t enough implants in place to support the load being placed on them. It’s possible for an implant-supported tooth to protrude slightly further than the surrounding teeth, putting extra pressure on that area when biting or chewing. That’s why it’s critical to find an experienced dentist or oral surgeon to place your implants.

Risks

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There is an extremely high success rate when using bone grafts from the jaw to anchor dental implants. Even if your bone was used, the bone graft still has a small probability of failing.

However, unlike organ transplants, bone grafts are rarely refused. Dentists can’t always pin down why a bone graft doesn’t take; patient factors like smoking and preexisting conditions are both possibilities. When compared to native bone, grafted bone poses a greater threat of implant failure, therefore it’s vital to know this going in.

If the graft does not take, however, it will be removed. Your dentist may decide to do a second graft once the first has healed.

As was previously noted, the success of a dental implant can be affected by the patient’s general health and their lifestyle choices. An individual’s general capacity to heal may be compromised, for instance, if uncontrolled diabetes is present. The implant’s ability to fuse with the bone will be hindered as a result.

If you smoke, your dental implant may not recover properly because the blood supply to your gums and jaw is diminished.

The anti-osteoporosis medication Fosamax, More than three years may hinder bone healing. Additionally, osteoporosis can have an adverse effect on bone density, making it challenging for prosthetic to be sturdy enough to bear the typical functional demands involved with biting and eating.

When you get dental implants, you need to be extra careful about keeping your mouth clean. Peri-implantitis is a gum infection that can develop if granules and plaque are not regularly removed from the area around the implant. Infections like these can cause bone to rot and implant loosening.

After a transplant has been removed, the patient’s donor site may hurt, swell, and bruise. If the bone was removed from the hip, for instance, walking may be painful for between two and four weeks. The typical duration of jaw swelling is between one and two weeks.

Conclusion

Bone loss is a common problem among those who would benefit from dental implants. If an implant were to be implanted, it would first require surgery to harvest cancellous bone from another part of the body (often the hip or chin), followed by placement when the area had healed. This means there needs to be enough bone at the implant site for the fixture to be firmly planted. Damage to your gums and teeth from periodontal disease can significantly affect your oral health. Bone grafting may be necessary if you’ve ever had gum disease.

It is feasible to get an implant even if your bone density is low. The jawbone can weaken after teeth are pulled. There are alternatives to dental implants for replacing missing teeth that involve bone grafting. A graze to the bone can happen for a variety of reasons, and it usually doesn’t hurt too much. In order to provide room in the jaw for implants, an external sinus transplant must first be performed.

Time spent in this extremely common therapy often ranges between 60 minutes and an hour. In cases where only a few implants are required, the two procedures can be combined into one day. The average wait time between placing a single implant and attaching a cap is three to four months. The following step is to create a crown that can be placed over the implant and functions like a natural tooth. The success rates remain high even in poor bone density regions.

The health and habits of the patient can have an impact on how well a dental implant heals after it has been placed. For instance, uncontrolled diabetes might hinder a person’s general healing potential. As a result, the implant will not be able to successfully integrate with the bone.

Content Summary

  • If there isn’t enough bone to support dental implants, what other options do you have for replacing missing teeth?
  • Several options for supplemental bone grafting prior to implant surgery will be discussed.
  • Many things might cause teeth to fall out, including cavities and gum disease.
  • For the implant to heal and fuse to the bone, there must be enough bone in the implant location.
  • We’ll go over three signs that can mean you require a bone graft below.
  • One, if the bone loss is too great, it may be impossible to instal a dental.
  • Therefore, a bone transplant operation may be necessary.
  • A sinus graft is often required to properly prepare the back and shoulder jaw for implant implantation.
  • The following step is to create a crown that can be placed over the implant and functions like a natural tooth.
  • Dental implants have a remarkable track record of success.
  • As a result, it’s crucial to locate a skilled dentist or oral surgeon to do the implantation procedure.
  • The success percentage of dental implants secured by jawbone transplants is exceptionally good.
  • As was previously said, a patient’s general health and lifestyle decisions can impact the outcome of a dental implant.
  • Dental implant patients must take special care to avoid gum disease and tooth decay.

FAQs About Dental Implants

What is the downside of dental implants?

The most common disadvantage of getting a dental implant is that it is a costly procedure and may not always be covered by insurance providers. Additional potential disadvantages of dental implants include: Pain, swelling, and bleeding due to surgery. Anesthesia complications like nausea, vomiting, and drowsiness.

Is a dental implant worth it?

A dental implant can help support a healthy bite, keep teeth in their proper places, and contribute to decreasing bone deterioration. The pressure and stimulus of the chewing action can also help to preserve the jawbone. Dental implants can also be beneficial to the overall beauty aspect of your teeth.

How much should dental implants cost in 2020?

In 2020, the range of costs is from $3000 to $6000. Having a tooth on a single day has never been this easy. This procedure’s price includes the cost of the implant, abutment, crown, and fabrication on a single day.

Can I take a day off after tooth extraction?

Some patients who undergo tooth extraction may want to take a day off from work just to make sure they can rest well and address the immediate side effects of the procedure. Other patients may not need to spend a day recovering and will be able to return to work the next day so long as it is not physically demanding.

Can I go for a walk 3 days after tooth extraction?

In most cases, walking and light physical activity is encouraged after the first day. This will also help with swelling and help get patients back into their normal routines. Depending on the procedure, patient should avoid vigorous physical activity for 3-5 days.

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