Tooth Extraction & Bone Resorption

Every year millions of teeth are removed, mainly because of tooth decay, periodontal diseases, a bacterial infection or chronic gingivitis, as many people know that the jawbone which supports the teeth are usually soft, which may be dissolved after tooth removal which is known as bone resorption, which also occurs during periodontal infection, as in the case of gingivitis, bacteria gradually eat in the jawbone and in the ligaments that connect the tooth with bones.

Bone resorption can lead to significant cosmetic or functional defects, including loss of surrounding gum tissue, but don\’t worry my dear reader; as the significant advances in dentistry have provided some simple but highly effective surgical techniques that contribute significantly in the treatment of bone resorption, as they either completely prevent or significantly reduce the loss of soft tissue and bone that usually occurs after tooth extraction.

In the case of the normal healing after tooth extraction, there is often bone resorption of the surrounding bones, resulting in a lower height and width than before the tooth extraction, In addition to bone resorption, the upper gum tissues also tend to lose both their size and natural anatomical shape, these changes can occur anywhere in the mouth, but the most severe loss of bone and gum tissue tends to occur after removing the incisor teeth at the front of the mouth

The importance of preserving the jaw bones from resorption after tooth extraction:-

As mentioned above, loss of bone tissue and gums after tooth extraction often causes some functional and cosmetic defects, especially in the front of the mouth, so protecting teeth from resorption is essential for tissue health and natural cosmetology.

In addition, the loss of bone and gum tissue often makes it more difficult for the dentist to perform certain special operations, such as appropriate replacement of missing teeth or teeth either by conventional removable or fixed bridges or by restoration of supported dental implants.

The most common mistake that  most patients  make  is  “ they install the dentures after tooth extraction directly”1 , which increases bone resorption, as dentures can accelerate bone loss by erosion of the bones placed on them, every time you  press on your teeth, you press on  the bones also , leading to  bone resorption, and this  is the 

main reason for lack  of proper dentures, as well as difficult and painful chewing; therefore, the jawbone must first be protected from resorption after  tooth extraction and before dentures are installed

How to protect the jaw bones from bone resorption after tooth extraction:-

Bone resorption can be prevented by implanting artificial teeth having the same or similar pressure as normal teeth _into the jawbone, this is done immediately after tooth extraction by replacing individual teeth with dental implants, or by using a fixed bridge or denture.

In some cases, in which the bones are already affected by the resorption, bone grafting may be needed to provide enough bone to develop the new tooth, bone grafting is also used to repair damaged and missing bones around teeth that have suffered from acute periodontal disease.

Sinus lifts: –

When  the dentist remove any of the upper teeth, the bones that contain the tooth expand and the sinus cavity expands also , so the bones that separates the sinus cavity  from the oral cavity  become very thin, and dental implants cannot be used in these thin bones, so the dentist uses the sinus lift ,as he lifts the sinuses by pushing the membrane that line the sinuses gently away from the jaw bone  and  then filled  the space left by the sinuses after lifting by  some grafting materials and once this is done the bone becomes implantable  for the new teeth.

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