When you have weakened jaws due to tooth loss, then you may need a ridge or sinus augmentation, which can strengthen your smile for dental implant placement. To offer care with precision and accuracy, we could implement dental lasers. In today’s blog, your Encinitas/San Diego, CA, periodontist talks about laser-assisted ridge augmentation.
When You Need Sinus/Ridge Augmentation
The advanced stage of periodontitis could lead to adult tooth loss. When we lose our teeth, this means more than just embarrassing gaps in your smile. Without replacement, the body will stop sending doses of calcium and phosphorus to the jawbone. Without these nutrients, the bone tissue begins to lose mass and density, breaking down to cause further tooth loss and even an older appearance. This could also limit your ability to receive dental implants, as there isn’t enough jawbone structure to support them. But as part of your treatment for gum disease and tooth loss, our team can strengthen the weakened portions of your jaw with a sinus or ridge augmentation.
The Benefits of Dental Laser Use
To begin, our team will carefully examine the smile with advanced digital imaging technology, which enables us to assess the cause and severity of your tooth loss. We then create a treatment plan to manage the disease so you avoid further tooth loss and implant failure. If your jaw has weakened due to tooth loss, we can also modify the gum and bone tissues with dental lasers to prepare them for the augmentation procedures. For the lower jaw, we conduct a grafting procedure to add new structure to the jaw. This provides a new base to support one or more dental implant posts. We can take structure from other parts of your body, or use synthetic options too. For the upper jaw, we will conduct a sinus lift to raise the sinus floor and uncover new structures that can support your dental implants.
Tooth Replacement
When the procedure is complete and the area heals, we can then conduct dental implant placement, inserting the implant posts at specific angles, positions, and depths to ensure they can support new teeth and keep your smile whole! Our team can secure an individual one, or place several to support a complete set of dentures. If you have any questions about ridge and sinus augmentation, or about dental implant placement, then contact our team today to learn more.
Do You Have Questions About Our Advanced Laser Systems?
Our team wants to help you enjoy optimal treatment for issues like periodontal disease. If you would like to find out more about the technology we use to protect your smile, then please call Dr. Kania’s laser periodontal office in Encinitas/San Diego, CA, at (760) 642-0711.