Jaw Reconstruction Fort Lauderdale

Our jawbone, like the other bones in our bodies, needs certain stimulation to keep building new bone mass. In our legs, for instance, applying weight either by walking or other exercise helps the bones to stay healthy. In our jawbone, the teeth provide this stimulation. When we bite and chew, a tremendous amount of bite force energy is created. This energy transfers down into the teeth, into the tooth roots, and then into the jawbone. This energy triggers the jawbone to continually create new bone cells, replace old cells; this process keeps the jawbone healthy.

When the jaw doesn’t receive this stimulation it begins to deteriorate and lose mass, a process known as resorption. Not replacing missing teeth and wearing dentures are the main causes for jawbone deterioration, but there are a few other causes, as well.

• Missing Teeth – When a tooth is extracted or knocked out and isn’t replaced by a dental implant, the jawbone immediately loses the stimulation referred to above in the area of the missing tooth or teeth. The bone loss is greatest over the first 18 months after the tooth was extracted, but it continues through life.
• Bridges – For the same reason, bridges allow for bone loss. While the missing teeth covered with a bridge look good aesthetically, the jawbone under those missing teeth receives no stimulation and begins to deteriorate.
• Dentures – Full dentures sit directly on the gums and don’t stimulate the jawbone beneath. Dentures resting on the gingiva (the gums), as opposed to implant-supported dentures, actually accelerate bone loss. That’s why dentures need to be remade every few years because the bone loss that is occurring keeps changing the fit.
• Periodontitis – The bacteria in gum disease first affects the gum tissue that wraps around the teeth. As the bacteria attack the gums, the gums separate from the teeth and pockets form. Now the gum disease will attack the bone that holds the teeth in place, loosening the teeth and beginning a progression of bone loss.
• Osteomyelitis – Osteomyelitis is a type of bacterial infection in the bone and bone marrow of the jaw. This infection causes inflammation, which can create a reduction in blood supply and damage to the bone.
• Tumors – Removal of tumors has to include additional jaw bone mass surrounding the growth.
• Sinus deficiencies – If a molar in the upper jaw is removed, air pressure from the air cavity in the maxillary sinus causes resorption of the bone that formerly held the teeth in place. The sinuses become enlarged. This can lead to insufficient bone mass in the upper jaw to place an implant.
• Bite Misalignment – If your bite is improperly aligned, certain teeth may not have the proper balance between the upper and lower teeth. This can create areas that aren’t receiving stimulation down into the jaw, leading to deterioration of the jaw.