You’ve been dealing with missing teeth for months now, and you’re getting sick and tired of it. You can’t enjoy many of your favorite foods anymore, and you’re in the habit of covering your mouth with your hand when you smile or laugh. Luckily, your dentist said you’re eligible for dental implants in Columbia, but only if you undergo a bone graft to strengthen your jawbone first. Why does your jawbone have to be strong to get implants, anyway? Keep reading to find out.
Why Is a Strong Jaw Important?
When you’ve had missing teeth for a while, your jawbone gradually starts to shrink. This is because the bone is no longer stimulated by the roots of your missing teeth through biting and chewing. Fortunately, dental implants provide just the amount of stimulation that your jawbone needs to continue growing and avoid deterioration.
However, when your jawbone has already shrunk, it simply isn’t strong enough to provide support for your implants. Trying to place dental implants, even at special angles like during Done in One in Columbia, when you don’t have adequate jawbone strength can cause your implants to fail, meaning the whole procedure was all for nothing.
How Can Your Dentist Make Your Jawbone Stronger?
The most common way your dentist will strengthen your jawbone is through a bone graft. During this procedure, your dentist will graft artificial bone tissue onto your existing jawbone. Over the next several months, this tissue will fuse with your bone, making it strong enough to support as many dental implants as you need to restore your full smile.
How Else Can You Prevent Your Implants from Failing?
Besides having a strong jawbone beforehand, there are a few things you can do to make sure your implants don’t fail after placement, including:
- Brush your implant restoration twice daily with a soft-bristled toothbrush.
- Floss around your restoration at least once a day.
- Avoid chewing super-hard items with your implant, like ice, pens, pencil, fingernails, and hard candies.
- If you have a habit of grinding your teeth, consider getting a custom nightguard from your dentist in Columbia.
- Quit smoking.
- See your dentist every six months for a checkup and cleaning.
Having a strong jawbone is integral to the long-term success of your dental implants. At your implant consultation, your dentist should make sure that your bone is strong enough to support as many new teeth as you need.
About the Author
Dr. Kyle Williams is an implant dentist in Columbia, TN who is qualified to both place and restore dental implants. At your consultation, he will check the strength and density of your jawbone to see if you can currently support implants. If not, he will be more than happy to perform a bone graft for you. To learn more, visit Dr. Williams’ website.