Causes Of Jaw Deformities That May Mean Undergoing Ridge Modification Before Getting A Dental Implant

Those who don't have adequate jawbone need ridge modification (treatment for loss of jawbone) before getting dental implants. This means it's in your best interest to know what causes this form of bone loss so you can avoid it. Some of the conditions that may cause deterioration of your jawbone include these three: 

Gum Disease

Gum disease is a bacterial infection that attacks the gums before spreading to structures (including your jawbone) around the teeth. If not treated early enough, the disease may break down the jawbone that anchors your teeth. If your jawbone is seriously affected, you may need ridge modification before getting your implant.

Apart from good oral hygiene, here are other measures for preventing gum disease:

• Taking good nutrition
• Avoiding tobacco products
• Reducing stress
• Managing diseases, such as diabetes, that have been linked to gum disease.

If you already have gum disease, get treated as soon as possible before it affects your jawbone.

Osteomyelitis

Whereas gum disease first affects the gums before spreading to other tissues, osteomyelitis affects the bone and bone marrow directly. It attacks when bacteria in the bloodstream affect your bones or when the bacteria reach the bone via an open fracture. Osteomyelitis leads to bone deterioration when it reduces blood flow to the bones, causing the death of your bone tissues.

Reduce your chances of getting this serious disease by preventing skin, fracture, and wound infections. Severe osteomyelitis infection requires surgical intervention.

Physical Trauma

Physical trauma can also affect your jawbone enough to necessitate ridge modification. For example, when you hit your teeth in a car accident, it can cause fractures in your jaw or knock out your teeth. Both of those injuries may require you to bolster up your jawbone before getting an implant. When you lose a tooth, the bones around it don't get the stimulation they require to keep rejuvenating, and this leads to bone deterioration.

Even though you can't reverse a bone fracture, you need to treat it as soon as possible to prevent other complications, such as an attack of osteomyelitis. As for a tooth that has been knocked off, get it replaced as soon as possible before you experience bone loss.

Hopefully, you won't develop any of the above complications and won't require ridge modification. Even if your jawbone has been damaged, however, right modification still offers you a chance for getting a dental implant. Just talk to your dentist to know what you require before getting the implant.

For more information, contact Riverdale Dental Arts or a similar location.

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