Niantic Dental Associates

Is bone loss permanent?

Is bone loss permanent? The answer is yes and no. Unlike a crab that can regrow an appendage, humans cannot regrow new bones on their own, but we do have ways to encourage the bone tissue in the jawbone to regenerate. This procedure is called bone grafting or ridge augmentation.

There are several factors that can cause jawbone loss, including a tooth extraction, dental injury, oral disease or a developmental defect.

Ridge augmentation is necessary for some restoration procedures. For example, your jawbone must be thick enough and tall enough for us to place a bridge, crown or denture that will be supported by an implant. An implant is a tiny metal screw that is inserted into your jawbone; then, an abutment (a special attachment) is placed on top of the implant so that a bridge, crown or denture can be secured to it.

When you don't have adequate jawbone, we can take bone tissue from one of your other bones or another source and add it (a graft) to the short or thin jawbone. The graft encourages your own bone to produce new bone tissue. Your body doesn’t reject a bone graft like it would an organ.

Ridge augmentation is a common procedure that is typically done in our office.

With healthy jawbone and an implant restoring the function of your dental arch, you can once again eat nutritious foods and talk without the embarrassment of a loose denture or displaying a gap caused by a missing tooth. An implant can give you back your confidence and your beautiful smile.

If you need a restoration, we will thoroughly discuss your options.