How Your Dentist Can Help To Keep Your Jawbone Healthy

Healthy bones are the foundation of good health, and maybe you already take steps to keep your bones strong, such as by taking calcium supplements and eating a healthy diet. But you probably don’t think too much about your jawbone, and you may not know how important it is that your jawbone stays healthy – and you may not know that your dentist can help you to keep your jawbone in good shape!

Implants for a Healthy Jawbone

Another way to keep your bones healthy is by getting exercise. The right kind of exercise puts a bit of stress on your bones, which is a signal to them to keep making more bone tissue, which helps to keep them strong. The same principle applies to your jawbone. Your jawbone needs a bit of stress applied to it so that it continues to create new bone mass – this stress comes in the form of biting and chewing with your teeth, the force of which is transmitted to the jaw bone. If you have a missing tooth, your jawbone misses out on this stimulation, and the bone begins to break down.

Not to worry, though – a dental implant can help. An implant replaces the whole tooth, roots and all. A post is surgically inserted into the gums to serve as “roots,” and once the post and the jawbone fuse, an abutment is placed on the post. The new tooth is then placed on the abutment.

Implants have many benefits: they are easy to take care of, as you brush and floss them as you would your natural teeth. And, they not only look and feel like real teeth, they also function like real teeth and “tell” the jawbone to create new tissue.

If you are missing teeth, it can affect your self-confidence, how much you enjoy food, and also the health of your other teeth and your jawbone! If missing teeth aren’t replaced, your jawbone may start to deteriorate and you may lose more teeth. If you would like to discuss the many benefits of dental implants, contact Pacific Northwest Smiles. Call the office in Mill Creek, Washington, at 425-357-6400 today!