For many people, dental implants seem like the ideal solution for replacing their missing teeth. They may have the finances to pay for them and are accepting of the fact that the entire process can take several months from start to finish. What might then come as a crushing blow to their plans to have dental implants, is when they are told they are not suitable for them.
An individual’s suitability for dental implants relies on several factors, mostly all related to their health. One which is of huge significance is the health of their jawbone. This is due to the fact that the titanium base for the dental implant needs to be fitted directly into the jawbone. If there is any condition the patient has relating to their jawbone that comprises the base’s stability or strength, then it could be that dental implants are not an option for that individual.
The loss of strength and integrity of not just our jawbone, but all our bones in general can be as a result of several different factors. For anyone aged 31 who rightly thinks of themselves as still young, they might be shocked to learn that beyond the age of 30 we have passed our peak bone strength. Our bones weaken naturally as we grow older and that can affect our jawbone and its ability to support a dental implant.
We obvious cannot turn back time so that is a factor we cannot influence. The gender we are born is also a factor, with females not only having weaker bones than males, but as women enter their menopause, their natural production of estrogen slows. Estrogen is a hormone which contributes to the strength and health of our bones, so if that is lacking, our bones are not as strong.
Other reasons why our bones in general, and our jaw bones in particular might weaken include us eating a diet that is greatly lacking in certain vitamins and minerals. These include Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, and calcium. Our poor lifestyle might also have a negative impact on not just our overall health strength, but when considering dental imp[a test, the suitability of our jawbone. Here we are talking about a lack of exercise, smoking, and drinking excess alcohol.
As you can see there are plenty of factors that influence our jawbone’s suitability for dental impacts, and the fact you are likely to be considering dental implants to replace a missing tooth, brings us to another potential problem.
When you lose a tooth, the bone that was surrounding the roots of that tooth has a tendency to weaken. It is almost as if that area knows it no longer has to be as strong as it was, because it is no longer securing a tooth.
If the weakening continues over time, there will come a point that it will be too weak to secure the base of a dental implant. This is why dental implants procedures should begin as soon as possible after the loss of a tooth, and certainly no longer than 12 months after it has occurred.
If that 12 month period has been exceed, and/or it has been determined that there has been a significant diminishing of the bone structure within the jaw, all is not lost as there is the possibility of a bone graft. This is where a piece of healthy bone from another part of the body, is transplanted to the area of the jawbone that needs to be strengthened.
This is not a quick fix as it can take several months for the healthy bone to fuse on to the jawbone and provide the required level of strength and integrity that would be required for a dental impact to be fitted.
Last Updated: April 8, 2023 by Health Summit
Why Your Jawbone Influences Your Suitability For Dental Implants
For many people, dental implants seem like the ideal solution for replacing their missing teeth. They may have the finances to pay for them and are accepting of the fact that the entire process can take several months from start to finish. What might then come as a crushing blow to their plans to have dental implants, is when they are told they are not suitable for them.
An individual’s suitability for dental implants relies on several factors, mostly all related to their health. One which is of huge significance is the health of their jawbone. This is due to the fact that the titanium base for the dental implant needs to be fitted directly into the jawbone. If there is any condition the patient has relating to their jawbone that comprises the base’s stability or strength, then it could be that dental implants are not an option for that individual.
The loss of strength and integrity of not just our jawbone, but all our bones in general can be as a result of several different factors. For anyone aged 31 who rightly thinks of themselves as still young, they might be shocked to learn that beyond the age of 30 we have passed our peak bone strength. Our bones weaken naturally as we grow older and that can affect our jawbone and its ability to support a dental implant.
We obvious cannot turn back time so that is a factor we cannot influence. The gender we are born is also a factor, with females not only having weaker bones than males, but as women enter their menopause, their natural production of estrogen slows. Estrogen is a hormone which contributes to the strength and health of our bones, so if that is lacking, our bones are not as strong.
Other reasons why our bones in general, and our jaw bones in particular might weaken include us eating a diet that is greatly lacking in certain vitamins and minerals. These include Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, and calcium. Our poor lifestyle might also have a negative impact on not just our overall health strength, but when considering dental imp[a test, the suitability of our jawbone. Here we are talking about a lack of exercise, smoking, and drinking excess alcohol.
As you can see there are plenty of factors that influence our jawbone’s suitability for dental impacts, and the fact you are likely to be considering dental implants to replace a missing tooth, brings us to another potential problem.
When you lose a tooth, the bone that was surrounding the roots of that tooth has a tendency to weaken. It is almost as if that area knows it no longer has to be as strong as it was, because it is no longer securing a tooth.
If the weakening continues over time, there will come a point that it will be too weak to secure the base of a dental implant. This is why dental implants procedures should begin as soon as possible after the loss of a tooth, and certainly no longer than 12 months after it has occurred.
If that 12 month period has been exceed, and/or it has been determined that there has been a significant diminishing of the bone structure within the jaw, all is not lost as there is the possibility of a bone graft. This is where a piece of healthy bone from another part of the body, is transplanted to the area of the jawbone that needs to be strengthened.
This is not a quick fix as it can take several months for the healthy bone to fuse on to the jawbone and provide the required level of strength and integrity that would be required for a dental impact to be fitted.
Category: Health Tags: dental health, dental implants, jaw bone, oral health
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