Dr. Todd Miller, DDS Dr. Steven Bounds, DDS, MS
Periodontal or gum disease causes bone loss around teeth, which can increase the chances for tooth loss. Once a tooth has been lost, the supporting jaw bone has a tendency to disappear over time. This may make wearing dentures uncomfortable, and insufficient bone can render placing dental implants impossible. However, a doctor can provide simple techniques that are now available to regrow lost bone, provide support for dental implants, or to improve the esthetics beneath a fixed bridge. Guided tissue bone regeneration does not always require the removal of bone from any other part of the body. Instead, doctors offer many options that use membrane barriers, tissue stimulating proteins, or bioactive growth factor gels. Occasionally, bone grafting procedures are required. Bone grafts can be from your own bone, tissue banks, or synthetic materials. The goal of each of these treatment options is to stimulate the body to grow new bone or to hold the space for the bone to regenerate into.
The bone and gum tissue should fit together like a turtleneck around your neck. When gum disease is present, this supporting tissue and bone are destroyed and pockets in between the teeth and gums develop. Eventually, if too much bone is lost as a result of gum disease, the tooth will likely need to be extracted. Guided tissue bone regeneration helps the body to regenerate lost bone. By repairing the damage caused by gum disease, this procedure will increase the chances of keeping your natural teeth by preventing further bone loss and will decrease the odds of serious health problems associated with gum disease. The placement of dental implants may also generate the need for guided tissue regeneration. An implant requires a sufficient amount of bone for support. For those patients that would benefit from replacing missing teeth with dental implants, guided tissue regeneration may first be recommended by your doctor. When a fixed bridge is placed, the bone under the pontic, or middle, portion of the bridge where the tooth has been lost has a tendency to sink and can affect the overall facial structure. Guided tissue regeneration can be used to repair the esthetics of the bone under the bridge, adding support for the facial structures to remain in attractive form. If you have lost bone due to missing teeth or gum disease, your doctor can help. Call us today for your consultation.