As we’ve said on the dental implant candidacy page, some patients do not initially qualify for treatment with dental implants. While they may not be able to pursue dental implants in their condition, this may be easily changeable using a supplemental procedure. There are many different conditions that can prevent you from moving forward with treatment using dental implants. Of these conditions, the most common ones are jawbone deterioration and gum recession. Fortunately, Dr. Andre Hughes can use treatments such as bone grafting and soft tissue augmentation to treat these issues, restoring dental implant candidacy for our Toronto, ON area patients. We encourage you to read on to learn more about these treatments and how they can allow you to receive the treatment you need.
If you are worried about whether or not you will need a supplemental procedure before you can move forward with dental implants, then you should immediately schedule a consultation with Dr. Hughes. It is during this consultation that the doctor will examine your oral health, looking carefully at the health of your jawbone and gums to see if you will need a supplemental procedure to treat these aspects of your oral health before you will be able to have your dental implants placed.
The main reason why dental implants are able to provide such great results is because of a process called osseointegration. This process works to fuse your dental implants to your jawbone and gums, allowing your body to accept your implants as a natural part of your oral anatomy. However, in order for this process to succeed, your jaw structure must be strong enough to support your implants. Much like your natural teeth, your dental implants need a strong jawbone and strong gums to work properly.
What many people don’t realize about the jawbone is the fact that it requires constant exercise to stay healthy, much like a muscle. This exercise comes from vibrations that are caused every time you talk and eat. These vibrations travel down your tooth roots and into your jawbone. However, when you lose a tooth, the portion of the jawbone that tooth was connected to is no longer getting the exercise it needs to stay healthy and will begin to deteriorate as a result.
For these patients suffering from jawbone deterioration, we will use bone grafting to restore health to their jawbone. This process uses bone samples taken from another source, usually donated or artificially created, and grafts them to the deficient areas of your jawbone. As your jawbone heals, it takes this new tissue and integrates it into your oral anatomy. Thanks to bone grafting, your jawbone will be able to provide the foundation required for your dental implants treatment to succeed.
Much like your jawbone, your gums can also start to recede, weakening from disuse or from damage experienced from oral conditions like tooth decay and gum disease. If you have yet to lose your tooth, you may be able to see your gum recession, which can be spotted by the fact that the tooth root may be more exposed than it should be.
For treating gum recession, we can perform a treatment called soft tissue augmentation. Soft tissue augmentations use donated gum tissue to restore health and stability to your gum structure. With time, your gums will be able to thicken and heal, becoming strong enough to support your dental implants.
For the most part, your soft tissue augmentation can be performed in the same appointment as your implant placement. However, if your condition is severe enough, you may need to have your soft tissue augmentation performed months in advance of your implant placement. This is because your gums will need time to heal before they can support an implant fixture.
As you can see, suffering from jawbone deterioration or gum recession doesn’t necessarily have to mean that you can never receive treatment using dental implants. By using treatments such as bone grafting and soft tissue augmentation, patients who were once denied treatment with dental implants are now able to get the treatments they need to smile once again. If you would like to find out whether or not you might need a supplemental procedure, please contact our office and schedule a no-obligation consultation with Dr. Andre Hughes today.
Dr. Andre Hughes
745 Bloor St. West
Toronto, ON M6G 1L6
New Patients:
647-792-5805
Current Patients:
416-531-5796
Monday: 10AM – 7PM
Tuesday: 10AM – 7PM
Wednesday: 10AM – 7PM
Thursday: 10AM – 7PM
Friday: Closed
Saturday: 9AM – 3PM
Sunday: Closed