Steps to Prevent and Reverse Oral Bone Density Loss

In order to prevent bone density loss, it’s important to act quickly at the first sign of an issue. There are also wider factors at play that could influence how quickly you experience bone density loss.

Who is most at risk of bone density loss?

The elderly are most at risk of bone density loss, and it also impacts women more often than men. Those suffering from osteoporosis are more likely to experience bone density loss in the jaw bone, as this is simply another area of bone that can be impacted by this condition.

Changes to hormones after menopause can lead to a loss of bone density, since oestrogen is essential for healthy bones. Vitamin deficiencies can also cause individuals to lose bone density, since calcium and vitamin D are both essential for bone health.

There are also certain medications and health conditions that will put you at higher risk of bone density loss.

How does bone density impact oral health?

It’s a catch-22 situation, where loss of bone density can lead to tooth loss, and then tooth loss and further worsen bone density loss. A lack of bone density can lead to tooth loss as the bone is essential for keeping the teeth securely in place. Gum disease can impact the health of your oral bone density by weakening the structures that keep your teeth in place.

Once your teeth fall out, your jaw is no longer useful for absorbing the force of your bite. When you don’t lose your jaw bone, it will shrink and recede, which can lead to tooth loss of the surrounding teeth. This is one reason that addressing gaps in your smile is so essential – particularly if you have additional risk factors for bone density loss.

Which treatments can help prevent bone density loss?

Prevention is always better than cure when it comes to dental health conditions. This is why it’s important to address gaps in your smile as quickly as possible after loss or extraction.

You might consider a dental bridge to help restore your smile and ensure you don’t lose the function of your bite. For a more permanent restoration, you could consider a dental implant. This treatment is the one that is most likely to ensure minimal bone density loss. The dental implant replicates the role of the tooth root, which helps to ensure the bone remains viable.

What treatments can reverse bone density loss?

If you are considering dental implant treatment but your bone density loss has already progressed, you may need to consider additional treatments before you can move forward. The most common treatment would be a bone graft using bone from your own body or a synthetic bone graft.

Bone grafting involves opening up the jaw bone and placing a piece of bone inside and leading this to integrate with the natural bone. This can help to widen the dental ridge, making it possible for you to have dental implants. This treatment is a surgical procedure that is not offered by all dental practices.

Where can I get bespoke advice?

If you are worried about bone density loss and would like to learn more about how we can help you, we recommend booking a consultation with our team. We can take X-rays and CT scans to determine the health of your jaw bone and then offer recommendations on the best course of treatment to help address bone density loss.

We can explore treatment plans such as dental bridges to help address tooth loss, or dental implants for a more permanent restoration. If you lost your teeth a long time ago and have suffered loss of bone density in the meantime, we can also explore how bone grafting might help to restore the health of your jaw.