Restoring Your Smile: The Importance of Ridge Augmentation in Combating Bone Loss
Your teeth are crucial to your smile, but the underlying bone’s health, quality, and density are equally important for both your appearance and function. When tooth loss occurs, it can lead to various complications beyond just visible gaps. Fortunately, the experts at Desert Ridge Periodontics & Implant Dentistry are here to protect and restore this supportive bone through procedures like ridge augmentation. This treatment helps to enhance or rebuild the bone in the alveolar ridge.
What is the alveolar ridge?
This term refers to the thickened, raised parts of the upper and lower jawbone. These ridges “house” the teeth, specifically surrounding and supporting the tooth roots. They contribute to the overall structure of your mouth and face. So, when this hard tissue deteriorates, it can have a negative effect on both the aesthetics and the health and function of your smile.
Why would I need treatment?
Bone may become lost due to tooth loss or advanced periodontal/gum disease. Known as bone resorption, this process occurs soon after teeth fall out or are removed. The fact is that within the first year after losing a tooth, half of the width of the alveolar bone is lost. And 30% of that resorption occurs within the first 12 weeks after any extractions/tooth loss! The loss of the bone that gives structure to your face and supports the overlying tissues can impact your appearance, chewing ability, and speech. As the bone shrinks, the lower portion of the face may collapse or appear hollow and sunken.
The skin and other tissues supported by bone can fall, resulting in visible folds and creases that may add years to your appearance. The loss of bone may even preclude you from getting certain treatments (like dental implants). Ridge augmentation is designed to rebuild that bone so that you can smile, chew, and speak freely and confidently again, and you can benefit from the best tooth replacement that modern dentistry offers – with implants.
Why does the health of my jawbone matter when getting implants?
Each implant is inserted in the jawbone and functions as a “root substitute.” In order for the implant to heal properly and become a sturdy support for your new teeth, it must have sufficient quality bone to grow with as part of the healing process. When there isn’t adequate bone, the implant and surrounding jaw do not “integrate” properly. Procedures like ridge augmentation help to support the success of your implant placement.
What is involved with ridge augmentation treatment?
The specific techniques that we use vary and are based on your needs. Generally, the process involves securing bone from another part of your body or from a different source to fill the sunken or concave area that forms under your gumline in the alveolar ridge. Once applied and secured, this “graft” fills in the recessed or deteriorated area. This can immediately help with the appearance of your gumline.
It also supports the appearance of dental bridges that may be applied to replace teeth. Once the graft has healed and integrated with the surrounding bone, you will have adequate structure and support in the area for dental implants. We can then proceed with placing these “tooth roots” and ultimately restoring your smile!
Desert Ridge Periodontics & Implant Dentistry is proud to serve the greater Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Glendale, Peoria, and Mesa, AZ area with trusted specialty care, and we welcome your questions! To speak with a team member in Scottsdale, call us at (602) 932-6297 today.
At Desert Ridge Periodontics, patients benefit from the expertise of Dr. Dan Indech, DDS, a board-certified periodontist with more than 30 years of experience in periodontal care, dental implants, and laser surgery. Trained at leading institutions in Canada, the U.S., and Sweden, he has placed over 10,000 implants and is nationally recognized for his work in Implantology and LANAP® laser periodontal therapy.
Dr. Indech and the team deliver compassionate, evidence-based periodontal and implant care focused on long-term oral health and personalized treatment.
