Ongoing gum irritation and swelling, called inflammation, can cause periodontitis. Eventually this causes deep pockets to form between your gums and teeth. These pockets fill with plaque, tartar and bacteria and become deeper over time. If not treated, these deep infections cause a loss of tissue and bone.
In most cases, dental bone loss can be stopped. And with expert periodontal care, you can actually regenerate bone and reverse bone loss.
Maintain excellent oral hygiene through proper brushing and flossing on a regular basis. Visit your dentist at regular intervals of six months for thorough teeth cleaning. Use toothpaste that contains fluoride in its ingredient list. Increase your calcium intake through food and supplements.
If left untreated, bone loss may become so severe that dentures can no longer be held in place, even with the use of stronger adhesives, and may require a new set to be made.
Bone loss can happen for a number of reasons, including misalignment of the jaw, tumours and accidental trauma to the face, but periodontal disease is one of the most common causes.
Eat a healthy diet including plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy products. Maintain a healthy weight. Get 1000 to 1200 milligrams (mg) of calcium each day from calcium-rich foods and take a supplement only if needed.
Periodontitis (per-e-o-don-TIE-tis), also called gum disease, is a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue around teeth. Without treatment, periodontitis can destroy the bone that supports your teeth. This can cause teeth to loosen or lead to tooth loss. Periodontitis is common but can usually be prevented.
Thanks to modern dental medicine, we know that a shrinking jawbone is not an inevitable part of the aging process. If you have lost a tooth or teeth, or if you have suffered an abscess or serious gum disease, you might be at risk for bone loss.
Dental bone loss occurs when the bone that surrounds and supports your teeth shrinks as a result of disease or infection, and can lead to the teeth becoming loose, moving and spreading out.
Sadly, it's not yet possible to stimulate the bone to regrow and rebuild the lost bone around the teeth. However, by developing good oral hygiene further bone loss can be prevented and advanced dental procedures available to replace the bone.
Calcium. No surprises here — calcium is well known to be great for your teeth. Throughout the body, calcium helps build bones and provide structural support.
Types of Implant-Supported Dentures
Implant overdentures often require fewer implants, making them a better choice for patients with more bone loss. Also, because they are removable, they are easier to clean, especially for patients who are already used to removing their dentures to clean them.
If a lack of calcium is observed, your body will start to take calcium from your bones and teeth instead. This will weaken your bones and teeth, placing you at an elevated risk for damage, tooth decay and osteoporosis.
In addition, several other signs may alert your dentist to the possibility of osteoporosis: Bone loss in the jaw and around teeth. Year-to-year comparisons of dental x-rays may indicate a decrease in jawbone density and the bone around your teeth, revealing advancing stages of the disease.
Osteoporosis is a bone disease that develops when bone mineral density and bone mass decreases, or when the quality or structure of bone changes. This can lead to a decrease in bone strength that can increase the risk of broken bones (fractures).
Scientists have perfected hydroxyapatite, a material for mineralizing bones and teeth. By adding a complex of amino acids to hydroxyapatite, they were able to form a dental coating that replicates the composition and microstructure of natural enamel.
However, if a tooth is severely damaged, your dentist may not be able to save it. In these cases, they will normally recommend that the tooth be removed. Dentists may recommend removal in the following circumstances: Dental injury resulting in a cracked or fractured tooth or root.
In some cases, it may be too late for gum grafting to save the gums. If your gums are severely damaged, receding so far back that they expose the tooth's root, or if there is significant bone loss from advanced gum disease, gum grafting may not be able to restore them to their healthy state.
Your periodontist makes cuts in your gums to carefully fold back the tissue. This exposes the tooth roots for more effective scaling and root planing. Because periodontitis often causes bone loss, the underlying bone may be reshaped before the gum tissue is stitched back in place.
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.