When you are missing one or more teeth and hope to qualify for dental implants, the family dentist in Austin, TX may recommend bone augmentation. This is a procedure in which bone is removed from somewhere on the body or other bone is grafted to the jawbone. Used mostly for implants, a prosthetic tooth is then attached to a post inserted into the jawbone. Deciding if the procedure is right for you depends on several factors like the probability of a successful graft and your general health.

Building Bone for Teeth

Everyone’s jaw is a different shape, width and depth. Dental implants involve surgically inserting a post on which a prosthetic tooth can be permanently attached. Before a tooth implant can be done, the cosmetic dentist in Austin, TX will evaluate the condition of your jaw bone.

In order to insert an implant post, there must be enough bone to safely do the procedure. Sometimes the jawbone is not deep enough or not wide enough. In that case, the bone must be augmented.

Dental bone augmentation involves using bone for your body or using bone from a cadaver or cow. The bone is grafted where the tooth implant will be placed. As would be expected, it’s necessary to allow enough time for your bone graft to fuse with your jawbone before the implant post can be surgically inserted. When cadaver or cow bone is used, bone cells are grafted to your jawbone and the jawbone grows around the graft causing it to be thicker or taller.

When your own bone is used, it usually comes from the back of the lower jaw or maybe from the chin. It is possible to take bone from anywhere in the body though, if there is not enough bone in the chine or lower jaw. The newest DNA technology offers another option in which bone morphogenetic protein-2 is used to stimulate the body to generate bone.

Making the Decision

When discussing the possibility of dental implants with the cosmetic dentist in Austin, TX, it’s important to get all of the facts. Dental implants offer a lot of advantages including:

>> Permanent prosthetic teeth making dentures unnecessary

>> Teeth don’t slip like dentures

>> Once healed, implants and crowns are easier on the gums

>> Easy to clean

Making the decision to get a dental implant is not always easy. There are a number of factors to take into consideration. For example, can you afford the dental implants? Just as important is your general health. If you have osteoporosis or any medical problem like gum disease or a disease that increases the likelihood of an infection, you will probably want to choose dentures and avoid dental surgery.

On the other hand, if you are healthy and your teeth on each side of the implant are healthy, a dental implant makes good sense. Another factor is the condition of your existing crowns and whether you already wear a fixed bridge relying on teeth already crowned around it to hold it in place. It may not be economical to replace the bridge and crowns so the implant can be placed.

If you are considering a dental implant, the first step is discussing the procedure in detail with your family dentist in Austin, TX. The dentist will do a complete evaluation and help you decide the best course of action based on the condition of your teeth and jawbone.