When you suffer from tooth loss as a result of gum disease, this could weaken your jaw until it can no longer support tooth replacement options like dental implants. But our team can strengthen the smile with grafting, also known as ridge augmentation. In today’s blog, your Encinitas/San Diego, CA, periodontist talks about laser-assisted jawbone grafting.
When Smiles Need Jawbone Grafting
When we lose teeth, the body will take notice and in response, no longer provide surrounding jawbone structure with regular doses of calcium and phosphorus. Without these nutrients, the jaw weakens and breaks down, losing mass and density. This in turn means further tooth loss and for many, a prematurely aged appearance. While dental implants can offer durable and lifelike tooth replacement, the weakened state of the jaw could mean your smile simply cannot support them. However. We can use lasers to assist with a jawbone grafting procedure, augmenting the ridge so your smile is dental implant ready.
Laser Dentistry
Dental lasers, like the kind used in our LANAP and REPAIR with WaterLase systems, have been specially calibrated to handle soft tissue concerns. They can target areas of your smile with precision, and leave healthy structure intact. They limit the risk of soreness, bleeding, and infection, and the treated areas heal much quicker since we don’t use scalpels or sutures. With the grafting procedure, we can use them to make any necessary modifications to the underlying gum, bone, and connective tissues. They can also destroy any harmful bacteria to help aid in the healing process.
Moving Forward With Dental Implants
With the augmentation portion itself, our team will add new structures to the lower jaw. These could be taken from the rear of your jaw, or your hip or knee bone. We could also use synthetic sources. We apply these to the weakened portions, where they bond with the jaw and fortify it. Your smile can now support dental implants. When we place these, they act as new roots and strengthen your jaw, allowing your new teeth to stay in place for decades and your jawbone to remain intact as well.
If you have any questions about these procedures, talk to our team. We can see if there is time to see you before the holiday season is here, so you start 2025 with a stronger and fuller smile, and use any remaining 2024 dental insurance benefits or health savings account funds.
Talk To Our Team About Rebuilding Your Smile
We want to help you undergo a ridge augmentation with precision and accuracy. To learn more about how we prepare your smile for dental implants, then schedule an appointment with our team, call Dr. Kania in Encinitas, CA, today at (760) 642-0711.