3 minute read

Missing teeth not only impact a person’s appearance and ability to eat and speak properly, but they can also lead to jawbone deterioration due to the lack of necessary support. While dental implants are an effective solution to prevent further bone loss, in some cases, there may not be enough remaining bone to support a standard implant.

At Perth Dental Implant Centre, our experienced dentist Dr David Norcross offers a range of solutions to help patients with bone loss restore their smile with dental implants, including bone grafting and longer implants. Book a consultation at your nearest clinic in Kelmscott or East Vic Park to find out more.

Book Kelmscott  Book East Vic Park

 

What are the dangers of bone loss in the jaw?

Missing teeth can affect a person’s ability to chew and break down food, speech and a willingness to smile. The more teeth are missing to trauma, decay and removal, the greater the risk of problems occurring, including jaw bone loss.

When the jaw bone is no longer stimulated by tooth roots, it can start to break down, resulting in a smaller and weaker jaw over time and a sunken facial appearance. This can also cause remaining teeth to shift, leading to changes in your bite and excessive tooth wear or can cause dentures to feel loose.

If you’re concerned about missing teeth or a shrinking jaw bone, contact our dentists to find out how we can help you.

Book a consultation

What causes bone loss around teeth?

Deterioration of the jaw bone usually happens as a result of tooth loss or advanced gum disease, but it can also have other causes. While bone loss is more common in older age, it can affect people of all ages.

 

Tooth loss or extraction

The teeth and jaw bone support each other, and when teeth are lost, the underlying bone can start to disintegrate. This happens fairly quickly, with multiple studies finding that 25% of bone is lost within the first twelve months of the tooth being removed.*

Replacing missing teeth with dental implants can help prevent bone loss, as implants stimulate the jawbone like natural tooth roots. However, other tooth replacement options that are supported by adjacent teeth such as a dental bridge or the gums such as a denture, won’t prevent jaw bone loss.

* Lin HK, Pan YH, Salamanca E, Lin YT, Chang WJ. Prevention of Bone Resorption by HA/β-TCP + Collagen Composite after Tooth Extraction: A Case Series. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Nov 21;16(23):4616. doi:10.3390/ijerph16234616. PMID: 31766327; PMCID: PMC6926561.

 

Gum disease and peri-implantitis

Dental plaque that builds up on teeth around the gum line can irritate or infect the gums, leading to gum disease. In its early stage (gingivitis), gum disease can usually be treated by improving oral hygiene at home. However, advanced gum disease (periodontitis) can cause the gums to recede and destroy the supporting bone holding teeth in place. This causes tooth loss and subsequent bone loss.

Gum disease can even cause problems for people with dental implants. An infection can begin to develop around the soft tissues near the implant, slowly weakening the supporting bone. This is a condition known as peri-implantitis and is the number one cause of dental implant failure. Learn more in our blog Understanding peri-implantitis: prevention and treatment

If you notice any unusual symptoms such as red, swollen or bleeding gums, bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth, you should make an appointment with your dentist.

Book a consultation

Other reasons for bone loss

Trauma from an injury or dental procedure may also lead to bone loss, as can misalignment that prevents teeth from chewing properly and stimulating the jaw. You may be more susceptible to bone loss and its causes if you smoke, have poor oral hygiene or nutrition, or have certain medical conditions.

 

Treatment options for bone loss

Treatment isn’t always necessary following bone loss, unless it’s causing a problem. While standard dental implants require the jaw bone to be a suitable size and density to support them, this isn’t required for some implant systems, such as full arch replacement with All-on-4® implants.

 

Bone grafting and sinus lift

If you are considering a tooth replacement solution for one or two teeth, your dentist may be able to restore any lost bone in the jaw using a bone grafting or guided bone regeneration procedure. Replacing missing teeth with dental implants can help prevent further bone loss and stop adjacent teeth from shifting into the space. Typically, a bone graft is performed and the jaw left to heal before an implant can be placed.

A sinus lift is a type of bone graft used to restore missing bone in the back upper jaw. A sinus lift aims to raise the sinus floor and fill the empty space with bone graft material. Read more about Bone Grafting for Dental Implants

 

All-on-4® dental implants

If you’re replacing a full arch of upper or lower teeth, All-on-4® dental implants could be an option even if you have bone loss in your jaw. The back implants are placed at a 45-degree angle that can reduce or avoid the need for bone grafting in most cases.

The All-on-4® implant system uses just four implants to support a full arch of replacement teeth and has a high 98% success rate after 10 years.* Perth Dental Implant Centre is recognised as an All-on-4® Centre of Excellence in Australia for Dr Norcross’ expertise in providing genuine Nobel Biocare® implants using the All-on-4® treatment protocol.

*Malo P, de Araújo Nobre M, Lopes A, Moss SM, Molina GJ. A longitudinal study of the survival of All-on-4® implants in the mandible with up to 10 years of follow-up. J Am Dent Assoc 2011;142:310-204

 

All-on-4® with pterygoid or zygomatic implants

If you have more severe bone loss in your upper jaw, All-on-4® treatment plus additional pterygoid or zygomatic implants may be recommended. These types of implants are supported by other bones:

• Pterygoid implants are 15–18mm in length and placed in the pterygoid process of the sphenoid bone. This bone, located behind the jawline, has a higher density than the jaw bone and is less susceptible to bone loss over time.
• Zygomatic implants are 35–55mm in length and are anchored in the zygomatic bone. Part of the upper cheekbone, this provides a strong and stable foundation that’s less likely to deteriorate over time compared to the jaw bone.

Both options have high success rates of 94–97% and can be effective long-term solutions for patients with more severe bone loss who want to benefit from full arch or full mouth restoration using implants.*

*Araujo, R., Ferreira, J., Camila Lopes Cardoso, Froy, A., Rosenvaldo Moreira Júnior and Marcos Martins Curi (2019). Clinical outcomes of pterygoid implants: Systematic review and meta-analysis. 47(4), pp.651–660. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcms.2019.01.030.

*Goiato, M.C., Pellizzer, E.P., Moreno, A., Gennari-Filho, H., dos Santos, D.M., Santiago, J.F. and dos Santos, E.G. (2014). Implants in the zygomatic bone for maxillary prosthetic rehabilitation: a systematic review. International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 43(6), pp.748–757. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijom.2014.01.004.

 

How to prevent bone loss

Even if you already have some bone loss in your jaw, further deterioration may be reduced or prevented by:

• Following good oral hygiene with twice-daily brushing and daily flossing to reduce plaque
• Eating a balanced diet and limiting processed sugar
• Quitting smoking
• Keeping up with your regular dental check-ups and oral hygiene treatments
• Correcting a misaligned bite
• Replacing missing teeth sooner rather than later

All-on-4® and other dental implant solutions in Perth

If you have any missing teeth – whether it’s a single tooth, multiple teeth or a whole arch – make an appointment with Dr Norcross at Perth Dental Implant Centre to discuss your options today. Call us in East Victoria Park or Kelmscott on 1300 108 133. You can also contact Dr Norcross directly with any questions or concerns.

Book a consultation

References

1. Araujo, R., Ferreira, J., Camila Lopes Cardoso, Froy, A., Rosenvaldo Moreira Júnior and Marcos Martins Curi (2019). Clinical outcomes of pterygoid implants: Systematic review and meta-analysis. 47(4), pp.651–660. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcms.2019.01.030.
2. Goiato, M.C., Pellizzer, E.P., Moreno, A., Gennari-Filho, H., dos Santos, D.M., Santiago, J.F. and dos Santos, E.G. (2014). Implants in the zygomatic bone for maxillary prosthetic rehabilitation: a systematic review. International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 43(6), pp.748–757. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijom.2014.01.004.
3. Lin HK, Pan YH, Salamanca E, Lin YT, Chang WJ. Prevention of Bone Resorption by HA/β-TCP + Collagen Composite after Tooth Extraction: A Case Series. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Nov 21;16(23):4616. doi:10.3390/ijerph16234616. PMID: 31766327; PMCID: PMC6926561.
4. Malo P, de Araújo Nobre M, Lopes A, Moss SM, Molina GJ. A longitudinal study of the survival of All-on-4® implants in the mandible with up to 10 years of follow-up. J Am Dent Assoc 2011;142:310-204