Some people who have lost teeth have also had bone loss in their jaws. Loss of bone tissue in the jaw may be directly related to that person’s tooth loss.
For example, both problems can result from serious gum disease called periodontitis. The extent to which someone with tooth loss also loses bone tissue is a very important factor in determining whether that person will be a candidate for dental implants.
Dental implants may be the ideal solution for tooth loss, but dental implants near you require enough bone tissue to hold the titanium post in the jaw, which will hold an abutment and artificial tooth, denture or bridge. Then the question arises; What if your bone density is weak due to bone loss in your jaw? Is it possible to have a dental implant in this case?
The most common form of dental implants are implanted in the jaw. If you’ve had bone loss that is so severe that there is not enough bone material to support an implant, you can still have different types of dental implant treatment. You can be a candidate for the Zygoma Implant, which is a cheekbone implant instead of implants placed in your chin .
What is Zygomatic Dental Implant?
Typically, dental implants are placed in your jaw just below the gap in the teeth left behind due to tooth loss. If the bone density here is not dense enough to support an implant, a cheekbone implant is placed in the cheekbone (instead of the chin) and an implant in the zygoma. A zygoma is an irregularly shaped bone in your skull and face.
Is There an Alternative Treatment to Zygoma (Cheekbone) Dental Implants?
Some people with insufficient bone structure can increase the volume of the jawbone through a series of bone grafts. In a bone graft, bone material is taken from anywhere in the body and inserted into the jaw where the implant is intended to be placed. Small incremental amounts of bone material need to be added to the affected area of the jaw, meaning increased bone mass to accommodate an implant requires multiple procedures even before implant procedures begin. This need for multiple procedures to complete the bone grafts is a disadvantage compared to the zygomatic dental implants option.
What are the Benefits of Zygoma Implants?
Whether zygoma implants are a suitable solution for you is something you should discuss with a dentist who evaluates your teeth and jaw and knows your medical history.
In general, the benefits of zygoma implants are:
.Zygoma implants do not compress the soft tissues on your face in the same way as a jawbone graft.
.Obtaining cheekbone implants requires fewer procedures and dental appointments than bone grafting followed by placing dental implants in your jaw.
