If you lose a tooth, especially at the back of the mouth, you may not see it as a big deal. However, when we consider function, you may need to replace the tooth. When you lose a tooth, the gap left starts to deteriorate. The exposed bone starts to resorb since it is no longer receiving stimulation. The good news is that technology has made many things possible. It is now possible for dentists like Mitch Vanhille to carry out a procedure to help stimulate the bone. This way, you don’t have to worry about potential issues that may come with a missing tooth. The procedure is known as bone grafting, a preventive measure for bone loss. However, how do you know you need bone grafting?
Before we look at how to know when you need a bone graft, let us take a brief look at how bone loss occurs and how bone graft help restores the health of your jaw. Grafting means the additional or bone material from a donor part for regeneration of the affected tissues. Bones lose minerals but rebuild themselves through exercise. If there are no activities like biting or chewing on the bone, reabsorption occurs. This is because there are no roots to stimulate the rebuilding of the bone tissues. With time, the bone loses its mass. If you have the conditions mentioned below, it is likely you will need bone grafting.
Missing Teeth
Irrespective of how you lost your tooth, you may need bone grafting. This is because over time, the jawbone starts to deteriorate without teeth support. The work of this procedure is to help restore the bone mass and prevent further loss of the jawbone. With bone grafting, you have more options like dental implants if you want to replace the missing teeth.
Gum Disease
Gum disease may also weaken the bone and loosen the teeth. Luckily, this disease is treatable, and if bone loss has already occurred, bone grafting can help restore it. When your teeth loosen, the main solution could be getting a dental implant, but your bones need to be strong. Bone grafting helps restore the strength of your teeth, making it possible to get the implants.
Teeth Misalignment
If you have misaligned teeth, you might have a bone loss problem. Bone stimulation decreases if the misaligned teeth are not functioning the right way. Therefore, you will need to have your teeth aligned properly to ensure every part of the jawbone is adequately stimulated. Bone grafting will also be necessary if the surrounding jawbone is weak to provide proper support to your teeth after alignment.
You Had an Injury
Teeth trauma after a hard blow on the jawbone can also cause bone problems. Therefore, the doctor may need to carry out bone grafting to restore the shape of your jawbone and the mass of the damaged tissues.
The Takeaway!
Mitch Vanhille is a skilled and experienced practitioner to perform bone grafting procedures. Therefore, if you have any of the problems mentioned here, give them a call and prepare for a bone restoration procedure.