Dental Implants Can Stop Bone Loss
The atrophy of the jawbone is a multifactorial phenomenon that progresses at a different pace in each patient, which can lead to unpleasant and chronic symptoms, and even complications that are dangerous to health. Bone loss in the jaw should be stopped as early as possible.
In the treatment of jawbone atrophy, many dental methods are used to slow down the process of bone loss, or even stop it completely. The method of restoring the condition of the disappearing bone depends mainly on the stage and causes of the process, as well as the financial situation of the patient. Permanent treatments for jawbone loss are usually costly, while temporary solutions may need to be repeated from time to time.
Bone loss
Bone atrophy is a bone loss phenomenon characterized by a progressive decrease in bone mass, leading to a disturbance of the bone microarchitecture. Atrophic bone changes its structure from smooth to porous and loses its current load capacity, becomes brittle and prone to fractures and the occurrence of painful and bothersome symptoms requiring conservative and symptomatic treatment. The phenomenon begins as a result of an imbalance between the atrophy processes and the formation of new bone tissue at the defect site. Bone atrophy can affect almost any bone component of the skeletal system. Particularly troublesome in terms of symptoms, as well as precise and often costly treatment, is the atrophy of the jaw bones.
Maxillary bone loss - causes
Atrophy of the jawbone, or atrophy, is a process that leads to masticatory dysfunction, the most common cause of which is tooth extraction. The reason for the beginning of bone loss is the lack of mechanical stress and the cessation of the physiological functionality of the bone in the place where the alveolus reduces its density and strength without the stimulus. The rate of jawbone atrophy depends on the general health of the patient, coexisting chronic diseases, metabolic disorders, especially vitamin and micronutrient deficiencies, stress levels, hormone levels and pharmacotherapy. The group of risk factors for the formation of mandibular bone atrophy also includes jaw injuries, gingivitis and periodontitis, periodontitis, or a mismatched prosthesis.
Maxillary Bone Atrophy - Symptoms and Effects
Bone atrophy can lead to changes in the shape of the maxilla and mandible, and ultimately to their functional dysfunction. In addition, the following is also observed:
- gum pain making it difficult or impossible to chew and chew; eating meals becomes clunky and cumbersome; there may be problems with the digestive system, manifested by recurrent indigestion, heartburn, i.e. painful burning behind the breastbone and abdominal pain caused by swallowing bites of food not ground with teeth,
- loosening of the teeth adjacent to the atrophy of the jaw bone, which may tilt towards the progressive loss,
- bite disorders affecting the appearance of the face and correct pronunciation,
- the development of occlusive disease, i.e. a disorder of one part of the masticatory system, causing abnormal functioning of the temporomandibular joints and constant muscle stress, leading to overload and destruction of their structures and the occurrence of additional symptoms, such as headaches and cervical spine pain.
Diagnosis of bone loss in the jaw
The treatment of tooth bone loss begins with a detailed diagnosis. Panoramic radiographs combined with a CT scan of the jaw make it possible to determine the degree of tooth bone loss and plan further procedures.
Bone loss in the jaw - treatment
The most common procedure to stop tooth bone loss and restore its normal mass is bone augmentation, i.e., restoring natural tissue at the site of the defect. For this purpose, various biomaterials are used, including bone substitutes or implants taken from a patient elsewhere in the body. In addition, the atrophy of the jawbone can be supplemented by placing the so-called barrier membranes made of synthetic materials that inhibit the progress of decay or use a combination of several methods, e.g., bone implantation with an additional collagen membrane covering. The bone loss in the jaw subsides after nearly six months of treatment.
The condition for successful implantation of tooth bone loss is adequately dense bone tissue in the area of the defect where the implant will be placed. In the case of poor quality of the substrate, treatment before implantation focuses on deriving the appropriate mass and shape of the alveolus through, inter alia, lifting the bottom of the maxillary sinus, i.e. modeling the bone defect with additional holes and widening its edges in order to place a bone substitute allowing for a stable implant placement.