If a dental implant has already become loose due to a severe infection and subsequent bone loss, it may not be possible to save it. In this case the infected dental implant might need to be removed and the area left to heal.
The Solution: A Bone Graft
A dentist or oral surgeon performs this procedure. A bone graft is an addition of bone material to the existing bone of your jaw area to create “scaffolding” for the implant. Several bone grafting options are available.
Sometimes, dental implants can become infected, causing inflammation in the soft tissues and bone loss around the implant, often by a condition called Peri-Implantitis. Peri-implantitis is an inflammation similar to gum disease and it affects the gum tissues and supporting bone surrounding a dental implant.
Bone loss around dental implants is generally measured by monitoring changes in marginal bone level using radiographs. After the first year of implantation, an implant should have <0.2 mm annual loss of marginal bone level to satisfy the criteria of success.
In most cases, dental bone loss can be stopped. And with expert periodontal care, you can actually regenerate bone and reverse bone loss.
First, your dental provider will numb the area with local anesthetic. Next, they'll create a small incision in your gums. Gum tissue is moved back slightly so that the jawbone is visible. After cleaning and disinfecting the area, your dentist adds bone grafting material to repair the defect.
Dental bone grafting is an effective dental technique that inserts a synthetic material where the bone has been lost. This material acts as a framework for future regrowth. After a graft, the jawbone regrows around the structure, creating new bone where a dentist can surgically place dental implants.
Flap surgery is often the first surgical intervention to treat extreme bone loss, and a graft may be necessary to regenerate the underlying bone. This procedure is designed to create new bone tissue, reverse progressing deterioration, and save as many teeth as possible.
Bone grafting is a normal procedure done to generate new bone. The treatment is a minimally invasive procedure where the dentist uses new bone material to regenerate the bone. Usually, the dentist uses new bone from your body, the hips. However, when that is not an option, we may get the bone from a cadaver or animal.
Bone grafting is a safe and highly successful procedure that involves “building up” or adding bone to the jaw. Bone grafts can be placed in a site where there is no longer a tooth or around an existing tooth or implant. The bone graft material comes from a human donor or in some cases from an animal source.
Adequate vitamin D and calcium make bones and teeth denser and far stronger, which helps prevent fractures and cracks. You can find vitamin D in eggs, fish and dairy products like cheese and fortified milk.
However, there are a number of medical conditions and medications that can cause more rapid bone loss — the most common conditions are hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, vitamin D deficiency and celiac disease, and the most common medications are steroids and aromatase inhibitors.
Untreated osteoporosis leads to weak and brittle bones that make people more susceptible to fractures. That's when a person may notice symptoms of osteoporosis. Compression fractures are the most common type of fracture associated with osteoporosis.
Some bone changes are a normal part of aging. Bone density starts decreasing around the age of 30, hormonal changes affect bone strength as we grow older, and the mineral content of our bones can change over time.
If you have osteoporosis, you may be at risk for tooth loss. When the jawbone becomes less dense tooth loss can occur. Women with osteoporosis tend to have fewer teeth than women with normal bone density.
Bone grafting is one way to provide bone back in your jaw. The procedure involves taking bone from another part of your jaw and inserting it into the loss area. Bone grafting can stimulate the jaw into regenerating bone again. Once you have enough jaw bone, you'll want to get a dental implant.
Low bone density can lead to serious medical conditions that could result in bone fractures. The most worrisome condition is osteoporosis, where low bone density causes holes inside the bone to widen and the outer walls of the bone (the cortex) to thin. This causes the bone to be more fragile.
Weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, jogging, and climbing stairs, can help you build strong bones and slow bone loss.
The consequences of vitamin D deficiency are secondary hyperparathyroidism and bone loss, leading to osteoporosis and fractures, mineralization defects, which may lead to osteomalacia in the long term, and muscle weakness, causing falls and fractures.
Oral bone and tooth loss are correlated with bone loss at nonoral sites. Calcium and vitamin D supplementation slow the rate of bone loss from various skeletal sites, but it is not known if intake of these nutrients affects oral bone and, in turn, tooth retention.
Vitamin D plays a key role in bone and tooth mineralization, and when levels are unregulated it can lead to the “rachitic tooth”, which is a defective and hypomineralized organ highly susceptible to fracture and decay [35,36].
As we noted above, the density of the jawbone can be improved using donor bone or artificial bone grafts. There are a few options for this: Autogeous Grafts – These bone grafts are taken from the donor's own body. Allografts – Allografts are grafts that are taken from another human donor.
Typical time for bone integration of a dental implant is 4-6 months, depending on the bone quality. FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENTS: Dr. Farbod will monitor the healing at 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month and 4-6 months after surgery (times may vary with each individual case).