Tooth loss caused by trauma or injury, periodontal diseases or cavities can often result in bone loss over time. This complicates any attempts to replace the lost tooth with a dental implant, as the jawbone lacks enough bone width or depth to support the false tooth. In such cases, dentists result to bone augmentation, a term describing various procedures used to rebuild the lost bone and restore your natural jaw so that it can provide the sturdy foundation required to support a dental implant and false tooth.

Your dentist will choose the best bone augmentation method for you, depending on the severity of bone loss and the location or number of implants you need. Here is a look at two common procedures used to augment bone to help you make an informed decision if you do need implants and have suffered severe bone loss.

Bone grafting

This is one of the most successful methods dentists use to add bone to the jaw. The process involves using your own bone from other locations, such as inside the mouth, or using synthetic bone materials to build up your depleted bone mass. The bone grafts have to be given around 3-4 moths to fully integrate with your jaw and provide the strong foundation required to anchor an implant-supported tooth.

Bone grafting is not usually complex and can be done at your implant dentist's office, after which you will be able to carry on with your life as the grafts fuse with your jawbone. Once the grafted bone becomes an integrated part of your jaw bone, you can then have your lost teeth replaced with permanent implants.

Sinus lift procedure

Replacing missing teeth in your upper back jaw poses a more complex challenge than replacing teeth lost in any other area of the jaw because the sinus cavity tends to grow larger as the jawbone deteriorates after tooth loss. This leaves very little bone between the oral cavity and sinus to hold an implant in place.

Luckily, a sinus lift procedure can provide a safe and easy solution to this problem. Dentists can tease the sinus membrane upwards to create a small window above the roots of the upper jaw teeth where more bone can be grafted.

The added bone allows for new artificial teeth to fit and function in the upper jaw, replacing any lost teeth in this area. Sinus augmentation is very safe and does not cause sinus problems or affect speech or intonation in any way.

For more information, contact a business such as Claremont Dental Institute.