If you’ve ever lost a tooth or a few teeth, you may have discovered that it’s not just your appearance that you lost. There’s another, less obvious, though equally important issue: your jawbone. Tooth loss can set off a slow process of diminishing jawbone density, which will reshape your facial structure over time, affect your bite, and create other problems. Dental Implants are the answer! In addition to mimicking natural teeth in appearance and function, implants are also vital to sustaining the health of your jawbone.
Here’s how that works. It’s not like snapping in a new tooth. The process involves several steps, and it mimics the biology of your teeth in a pretty remarkable way.
What Happens When You Lose A Tooth?
When a real tooth is extracted, whether from decay, trauma, or periodontal disease, the whole visible part of it goes with it. You also lose the tooth root. That root is key: It signals your jawbone each time you bite or chew.
Without that stimulation, the bone starts to shrink, a condition called bone resorption. Not overnight, but surprisingly quickly. During just the first year of the tooth extraction, you can lose a quarter of the width of the bone at the extraction site.
This can become even more challenging if you are missing several or even all of your teeth. That type of bone loss can eventually reach a point where it becomes problematic, sometimes even impossible, for traditional removable dentures to fit well. They could shift, feel uncomfortable, or even stimulate more bone loss.
Dental Implant Procedure And Bone Health: What You Need To Know
A dental implant isn’t just going to fill a space. It replaces the tooth root as well as the root itself. That’s the game-changer.
A tiny titanium post (the implant body) is placed into the jaw during a minor surgical procedure to serve as a base. This post osseointegrates, or integrates within the bone. It is the artificial tooth root that takes the place of the missing root. The body handles it in much the same way it handles a real root, and healthy bone density is maintained around the implant.
So, rather than being something that results in bone loss, it does the opposite: It causes bone to grow.
Sometimes, especially if there’s been a long gap between a tooth extraction and the time of the dental implant procedure, a bone graft might be needed to create adequate structure for the implants to be inserted securely. But once it’s in, it starts doing the job it was hired for, to prop up bone, absorb some pressure, and hold fake teeth where they should be.
A Natural Pairing – Of Your Mouth And Your Bone
A key reason so many dental implants are successful is that the body just accepts them quite readily. The implant body is made of biocompatible titanium. It was designed to promote bone build-up around it, securing in place like it naturally would with your teeth.
Having said that, not everyone is a perfect fit for dental implants at the start. You also have to have enough bone and healthy gum tissue. If they’re not, then an oral and maxillofacial surgeon might recommend those as precursors to the surgery to ensure the preservation of bone around the implant and a solid foundation for the implant itself.
Regardless, when healing is complete and yes, bone does heal, the result is usually a strong, stable base for an artificial tooth, or for an entire set of permanently fixed teeth.
One Tooth or Several? Dental Implants Can Go With Both Options
There are some people who think implants are only ever used for single teeth. That’s a myth, and a very interesting one. Even if you have lost multiple teeth or require a full tooth replacement, implants may still be the answer.
You may have one implant for every missing tooth, or in your specific case, you might have multiple teeth, a curved bridge, or a group of teeth mounted at once. Or for a few teeth, your dentist might fit you with a bridge that is only anchored on a few strategically located implants. That gets you a locally smooth, working answer without having to fill in all of the gaps.
Implants can even be used to stabilize dentures, partial or full. These so-called implant-supported dentures are much more stable than traditional dentures, which simply rest on the gums and don’t support bone health. Because the denture is anchored to the implant, there’s better chewing function and less friction on the gums, not to mention less bone loss.
What About Risks?
Of course, as with any surgery, there are risks. Implants can fail, although when placed correctly and in the right candidates, this is fairly rare.
And perhaps the single biggest risk factor? Poor oral hygiene. It sounds obvious, but it still needs to be reiterated; you need to clean your implants every day. Yes, the artificial tooth will not decay, but the gum and bone surrounding the implant can still become inflamed or infected. Your body can attack the implant and its surrounding tissues, leading to tissue and bone loss, and in the end, a failed implant condition. permeable to moisture for efficient functioning.
Which is why routine checkups, cleanings, and at-home practice are just as important after an implant as they were before it was placed.
It’s About More Than Looks
People sometimes think a dental implant is a restorative dentistry. And yes, they give you your smile back, but their advantages extend far beyond looks.
Implants also help retain the structure of your face due to the prevention of jawbone deterioration. While that internal prop is missing, the bottom third of the face falls in ever so slightly. Cheeks may look sunken. Lips fold in. Your body’s reaction creates the illusion that you’re older than you are.
So, while implants may seem like a cosmetic indulgence, a lot of times they’re a functional need.
The Long Game Of Oral Health
And here’s something easy to forget: oral health is tied to your general well-being. If you have missing teeth, particularly if caused by gum disease or decay, your ability to chew, speak, and digest food is compromised. And over time, that can affect your nutrition, self-esteem and even your social life. Dental implants are not just about structure. They restore normalcy.
You’re not struggling with a slipping denture. You’re not hiding your smile. You’re back to chewing on both sides. That has ripple effects across how you eat and how you feel in day-to-day interactions.
Is Dental Implant Surgery the Right Choice For Me?
If you’ve recently lost a tooth or are considering options for removable dentures, you might be interested in discussing this possible alternative with your dentist or oral and maxillofacial surgeon. They’ll even determine whether or not you’re a good candidate for dental implants, checking your bone volume, overall health, and making sure healthy gum tissue is present.
They will also explain to you the dental implant surgery, implant body placement, time for healing and bone growth, implant abutment placement, and attaching the crown or artificial tooth. It’s a process, not an overnight fix, but the payoff? Durable operation and stability.
Final Thoughts
To sum it all up, which is tough given the incredibly biologically complex nature it involves, dental implants are about far more than just replacing missing teeth. They reinforce the bone. They restore the bite. And they safeguard the overall health of your mouth over the long term in ways that other answers, bridges or dentures, for example, simply can’t.
So if you have missing teeth, it’s worth asking your dentist: Is a dental implant the next right step? This is not just for your smile, but for the structure underneath it.
Because sometimes, it’s not about what’s above the surface, but what’s moving below.
Missing teeth? Don’t wait. Schedule your consultation today with a trusted dentist or oral surgeon near me and discover how dental implants can improve your jawbone health and give you a lasting, natural-looking smile.
Call Eagle Rock Dental Care Rexburg now or book online to take the first step toward a stronger, healthier you. See real cosmetic dentistry before and after transformations and imagine what’s possible for your smile.