When you lose your teeth and your jawbone begins to degrade, this could mean you cannot receive implant dentures without first undergoing bone grafting or sinus lifts. However, your Livonia, MI, dentist does have an option for those with lost jawbone density: mini implants! How do we place them, and who qualifies for them?
When You Need the Mini Version
Our smile undergoes major changes once we lose natural teeth. The body no longer sends regular doses of calcium and phosphates to the bone structure, causing it to begin breaking down around the areas missing tooth roots. The breakdown then causes an aged appearance, further tooth loss, and doesn’t leave enough tissue to support one or more new dental implants. In most cases, replacing your missing teeth with dental implants could mean first undergoing oral surgery to rebuild these portions of the jaw, such a ridge augmentation and sinus lifts. However, with Mini Implants we use smaller versions of the implant posts to stimulate the growth of bone structure, preserving your jaw, and also supporting a crown or denture.
Placement and Restoration
We take detailed digital images and x-rays to plan the treatment with accuracy and precision. We want to choose an area that can support a new tooth root, and also avoid sinus cavities or nerve tissues. We then guide the placement process with advanced digital systems. Since each post is smaller than traditional ones, the surgery is less involved and the recovery period much shorter. When the area heals and the minis bond with the bone structure, we attach abutments and either a crown for an individual one, or a denture for multiple missing teeth. You then enjoy a complete smile again!
Preparing Your Smile for Traditional Dental Implants
If you do require procedure to rebuild the jaw, we could do this with grafting and sinus lifts. Grafting means we take bone tissue from the rear of the jaw or your hip, or from a synthetic or donor source, and place it on the jaw, building up the portions that need to support a root. A sinus lift helps uncover new structure for implant placement. We use sedation and anesthesia to ensure the process is a comfortable one!
If you have any questions about how we handle tooth replacement, or about our options to help smiles of all types, then contact our team today. Let’s make sure you end 2021 with a full smile again!
Ready for More Economical Tooth Replacements?
We want to help you on your path toward a complete smile once again. To learn more about our options for securing lifelike and durable tooth replacement, then call James Stewart, DDS, dental implant office in Livonia, MI, at (734) 425-4400. We also serve the residents of Farmington, Plymouth, Dearborn Heights, and all surrounding communities.