Can You Get Dental Implants With Bone Loss?

Bone loss is more common than you may think. If you had a missing tooth for a while and the jawbone didn't receive proper stimulation, you may have developed bone loss. 

People with periodontal disease, a condition that affects the tissues supporting the teeth, can also have bone loss. In fact, it's estimated that almost 15% of patients with periodontal disease have moderate bone loss too. 

If you are interested in dental implants in Houston to replace a missing tooth, you may have heard that adequate bone mass is crucial to the success of the treatment. Does that mean that you can't get implants if you have bone loss? 

Keep reading as not all is lost. 

What makes dental implants different from other restorative treatments is that they get inserted into the jawbone. The metal post will be surgically fixed in the jaw bone and act as the root of the artificial tooth. 

But, for that to happen, you need enough bone mass to hold the implant in place. Without adequate bone mass, the implant won't have enough tissue to fuse with and might eventually become loose and fail. 

It depends. If you have severe bone loss, then we may need to consider other restorative options such as dentures or bridges. 

In some cases, you may need to undergo additional treatments, such as a bone graft. 

A bone graft is a procedure that allows the dentist to add more bone mass and even kickstart the bone regeneration process. The dentist will use either natural or synthetic bone, lift your gums, and place the bone. Then, the new bone will start fusing with your existing bone, creating enough mass to support the implant. 

Of course, this doesn't happen overnight. You will need a few months for the entire process to complete and for the bone graft to fully heal.