A full set of teeth protects more than just the look of your smile. If left untreated, missing teeth frequently lead to bone loss.
Dental health is important for overall health. Well-maintained teeth and gums let you eat, drink, speak comfortably and prevent future problems. Although dental health in Australia has dramatically improved in the last two to three decades, missing teeth are still common. One in 25 people aged 15 and over have no natural teeth left, which rises to one in five for Australians older than 65.
But while they may be common, missing teeth are a chronic medical condition. Even a single lost tooth can set off a chain reaction that can lead to shifting and misalignment, gum disease (periodontitis), further tooth loss and other serious problems. Bacteria can even spread from the gums to the rest of the body, leading to respiratory issues and cardiovascular disease.
Bone loss is one of the most common medical problems caused by missing teeth.
Next Smile Australia specialises in the All-on-4® treatment, which provides you with a new smile in as little as 24 hours. All-on-4® is different to traditional dental implants because it supports an entire “bridge” of new teeth on just four dental implants – two at the front and two at the back.
How does bone loss happen? Do All-on-4® implants prevent bone loss, and can you still receive treatment with All-on-4® when severe bone loss has already occurred?
Next Smile Australia can help you understand the role missing teeth play in bone loss and other health issues and how All-on-4® implants can prevent bone loss from taking place.
How Does Bone Loss Happen?
Bone loss commonly occurs due to either missing teeth or gum disease. Like muscle, bone weakens and loses density through inactivity. When a tooth is missing, the jawbone beneath the empty space won’t receive the benefits that come with regular use. Gradually, but eventually, it will weaken and begin to deteriorate.
Gum disease can lead to bone loss when the inflammation spreads and begins to attack the supporting gum and the bone tissue. Injury or trauma, medical conditions such as osteoporosis and tumours, and tobacco smoking (which lowers bone density) are other common factors in jawbone deterioration.
What Are The Risks of Bone Loss?
Just like missing teeth, leaving dental bone loss untreated can lead to several potential negative consequences, including
- Losing further teeth, with those closest to the gap at the highest risk.
- Other teeth shifting out of place or growing looser.
- Shrinking gums.
- Discomfort while chewing.
- Difficulty speaking.
- Bad breath.
Ways to Prevent Bone Loss from Missing Teeth
Missing teeth have several common causes, including advanced tooth decay, gum disease, illness, injury and genetic conditions. If you’ve already lost a tooth (or multiple teeth), how do you keep bone loss away?
Some steps you can take to minimise the risk of dental bone loss include:
Keep practicing strong dental hygiene
Brushing your teeth at least twice a day, flossing once per day, using an antibacterial mouthwash and visiting the dentist every six months helps to reduce the risk of further damage.
Avoid smoking and vaping
Smoking tobacco, chewing tobacco, vaping or using e-cigarettes impacts your bone structure and accelerates bone loss.
Eat a balanced diet
Calcium and vitamin D support bone growth. You can help maintain the strength of the rest of your teeth by eating a diet high in dairy, eggs, nuts, tofu and leafy vegetables.
While preventing further bone loss is important, you can restore your smile and your oral health by seeking treatment for missing teeth and bone loss. So, do All-on-4® implants prevent bone loss, and are you still eligible for All-on-4® with severe bone loss?
Solutions When Suffering From Severe Bone Loss
Dentures and bridgework can replace the look and the functionality of the missing teeth, but they don’t actually make the jawbone any stronger.
Dental implants offer a permanent solution to missing teeth and also prevent further jawbone deterioration. Traditionally, dental implants involve a series of titanium screws inserted into the jawbone to replace the roots of each missing tooth.
Dental implants have their limits, however, when the jawbone has already deteriorated past a certain point. If you have insufficient bone density to support new implants, dental bone grafting may be required. This involves taking bone from elsewhere in your body (or using a synthetic material) and using it to add heft to your jawbone. This can be an uncomfortable procedure and stretch out the recovery time from dental implants (which already tends to be long) even further.
If you’ve been looking into the All-on-4® treatment, you’ve probably noticed that it can provide you with a new smile in just 24 hours, cutting out the long recovery time commonly associated with dental implants. Do All-on-4® implants prevent bone loss?
Prevent Bone Loss with All-on-4® at Next Smile Australia
So, how does All-on-4® work? How do you know if you’re eligible for the treatment? And do All-on-4® implants prevent bone loss from worsening, even if some has already occurred?
A treatment with a 98% success rate, All-on-4® was pioneered by Dr Paulo Malo in 1998. Since then, it has helped hundreds of thousands of people regain an authentic-looking smile in as little as 24 hours.
Next Smile Australia uses Dr Malo’s two-bridge treatment process, ‘The Malo protocol’. During stage one of this process, you have your implants surgically implanted and receive your first set of teeth: your “provisional bridge”. You’ll wear this for three to six months as your implants integrate with your jawbone in a process known as “osseointegration”. Once this process is complete, you’ll receive your long-term set of teeth: your ‘final bridge’.
Next Smile Australia’s technicians construct your personalised set of new teeth from the finest-quality Nobel Biocare materials. Often, you’ll receive your first set as soon as you wake up from your implant surgery and never more than 24 hours later.
All-on-4® implants prevent bone loss by fixing these prosthetic teeth to the dental implants embedded in the jawbone so that they function just like natural teeth. Not only do All-on-4® implants prevent bone loss and stop further bone deterioration from taking place, but you can also receive All-on-4® with severe bone loss as the implants are designed to remove the need for dental bone grafting. The All-on-4® process uses angulated dental implants in areas of the jaw that have thin or little bone, which prevents the need for bone grafts. This shortens the recovery time and helps you avoid a lot of discomfort.
While All-on-4® is an option even with severe bone loss, it’s a treatment type specifically for people with multiple missing teeth. If you only have one or two gaps in your smile, traditional dental implants are recommended.
Next Smile Australia provides safe and comfortable All-on-4® treatment in our industry-leading Super Clinics around the country.
Staffed by our highly trained and empathetic team members, these Super Clinics are designed for carrying out All-on-4® treatments in medically regulated, hygienic environments. Stocked with the finest in dental technology, including in-house X-rays and CBCT scanners, they feature state-of-the-art surgical rooms, on-site dental laboratories and treatment from leading practitioners and experts in the All-on-4® procedure.
To find out more about how All-on-4® implants prevent bone loss or to arrange a personal consultation, get in touch with Next Smile Australia.