Have you had a missing tooth for several weeks, months, or years that you’ve been waiting for the “right time” to replace? If so, you can potentially benefit from dental implants. These restorations are unique in that they’re embedded directly into your jawbone, allowing them to provide unique advantages over alternatives like dentures or dental bridges.
However, if it’s been quite a while since your tooth fell out, you might wonder if it’s too late to be able to undergo the implant procedure. Although waiting too long can be risky, there’s still a chance that you can successfully rebuild your smile. Keep reading to learn more!
How Does Tooth Loss Affect My Jaw?
Did you know that when a tooth goes missing, your jawbone starts to thin? Under normal circumstances, the roots of your natural teeth stimulate new bone growth in your jaw every time you bite down or chew. Unfortunately, when one goes missing, there’s nothing to keep the tissue active and healthy, and it begins to deteriorate. You can lose up to 25% of the bone mass under a missing tooth within the first year it falls out. Yikes!
Eventually, your jawbone can become too frail to support any remaining pearly whites, let alone your dental implants. You might suffer additional tooth loss and can develop more deeply sunken cheeks and saggy skin as your facial structure weakens. That means refurbishing your smile as quickly as possible after losing a tooth can preserve both your oral health and your appearance.
Can I Get Dental Implants If My Jaw Is Too Thin?
You might worry that your jawbone has already become too fragile to successfully undergo the dental implant procedure, but don’t lose hope yet! In many cases, an additional bone graft procedure can bulk it up enough to proceed with treatment. This surgery involves placing additional bone tissue from somewhere else in your body or from a donor into the shrunken area. Then, it can take several months for the materials to integrate enough for you to move forward with dental implants. Thankfully, this method can be used to restore your jawbone so that you can potentially make the most of your prosthetics for the remainder of your natural life.
If you’re unsure whether you’ve waited too long to successfully rebuild your smile, the best way to find out for certain is to schedule a consultation with your dentist.
About the Practice
At Midtown Family Dentistry, people of all ages benefit from a team of specialists who can meet all their dental needs conveniently under one roof. With a pediatric dentist, orthodontist, and oral surgeon on staff, there’s no problem too simple or complex for them to resolve. They offer evening and weekend appointment times so that you can find a time that works best for you. Plus, their family-friendly environment is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to provide lifelike restorations intended to last. If you’re interested in dental implants, you can request a consultation on the website or call (469) 529-6016.