The Importance of Bone Health for Dentures and Implants

Are you hiding your smile due to missing teeth? At Great Lakes Dentures and Implants, we proudly offer a range of tooth replacement solutions tailored to your unique needs. Whether you’re considering dentures or dental implants, your jawbone health can significantly impact the success of your restoration. Having adequate bone quality and density is key to ensuring a snug, stable fit for dentures or supporting dental implants, leaving you with a confident, comfortable smile. 

The Importance of Jawbone Health for Denture or Implant Success

Your tooth roots do more than just anchor your teeth in place. They play an important role in stimulating and maintaining your jawbone health and density. If you lose one or more of your teeth due to trauma, deep decay, or advanced periodontal disease, the bone in the area begins to deteriorate due to a lack of stimulation. This process, known as bone resorption, can impact your facial structure, cause your remaining teeth to shift, and interfere with the comfort of dentures and your eligibility for dental implants.

How Does Your Jawbone Health Affect Denture Placement?

Your dentures rest on the gum line, which is supported by the jawbone underneath. If you have bone loss, your dentures may become loose, uncomfortable, or require frequent adjustments. Poor bone health and density can make it challenging to secure traditional dentures, especially lower dentures, leading to issues with chewing, speaking, and even facial sagging over time.

Implant-supported dentures offer a superior alternative to dentures, providing added stability and function. However, even these restorations require adequate bone density to ensure their success and longevity.

How Does Your Jawbone Health Affect the Success of Implant Dentistry? 

Dental implants are small, biocompatible posts, typically made of titanium, designed to replace natural tooth roots. Once in place, they serve as anchors for one, several, or even a full arch of replacement teeth. For successful implant integration, your jawbone must be healthy and dense enough to provide adequate support. If you have bone loss in the area, your implants may not integrate properly or may even fail over time.

That’s why one of the most important steps in your implant journey is evaluating your bone health. If you have bone loss, we may recommend a bone graft to rebuild the area and create a solid foundation to ensure your implant procedure’s success. 

What Is a Bone Graft?

Bone grafting is a procedure that we typically perform at our office under local anesthesia. It involves placing a grafting material into the area of loss, which encourages the body to grow new bone tissue over time, restoring your healthy jawbone structure. Bone grafting is often necessary before implant placement if you have bone loss due to tooth extraction, trauma, gum disease, or long-term denture use.

At Great Lakes Dentures and Implants, we use advanced technology and materials to ensure a safe, predictable, and comfortable bone grafting experience. This procedure helps ensure the comfort of dentures and the long-term success of implants, enhancing the health, beauty, and function of your smile. 

Dental Implants and Dentures Near Me in Plainwell, MI

If you would like to learn more about restoring your complete smile with dentures or dental implants, contact Great Lakes Dentures and Implants in Plainwell to schedule a consultation. Dr. McGuire will evaluate your bone health, discuss your tooth replacement options, and help you determine whether you require a bone graft to ensure a functional, natural-looking smile that lasts. We invite you to call us at 269-888-6686 to schedule your appointment or request one online today!