During eating, the bone tissue of the tooth experiences some stress. If the teeth have fallen out, then the load is reduced, and the bone is reduced in size. When one tooth is lost, others have to work harder. This can lead to their rapid destruction.
Tooth bone structure
The structure of bone tissue is different from the structure of other human cells. Osteoblasts and osteoclasts are special cells found in hard tissues. Osteoblasts produce collagen, which allows bone to continue to grow, while osteoclasts cause bone atrophy. Some cells continue to grow, others reduce the hard part. Joint work provokes a constant renewal of the bone tissue of the tooth.
Bone tissue consists of two parts:
- cortical contains a large percentage of minerals;
- spongy is more like bone marrow and consists of soft parts.
The lower and upper jaws differ from each other in structure. The lower one consists of a cortical layer that surrounds a small spongy layer. Such a structure is required in order for the lower jaw to withstand thatthe burden that it bears. The upper jaw is mostly composed of a spongy layer and a small amount of hard tooth tissue.
Cause of atrophy
Reduction of bone tissue appears after tooth extraction. The more gaps in the dentition, the more pronounced the symptoms of atrophy:
- gum size decreases in volume and height;
- may cause wrinkles around the mouth;
- sagging cheeks and lips;
- drooping corners of the mouth;
- facial asymmetry;
- gap between remaining teeth.
Atrophy occurs due to some reasons:
- loss of teeth, one or more;
- damage to hard tissues of teeth;
- changes with age;
- jaw injury;
- endocrine disorders in the body;
- poor quality or improperly made dentures;
- pathologies that are most often congenital.
The most common cause of bone loss is tooth extraction. The patient himself does not immediately understand that changes are taking place with the jaw. 3 months after the loss of a tooth, part of the gum begins to fail, and a year later it is no longer possible to insert an implant in place of the gap without additional measures to restore the bone tissue of the tooth.
What causes the destruction of bone tissue
Atrophy is not only an aesthetic problem, with this pathology changes occur in the body and difficulties arise in other organs. Restoration of the dentition becomes a complex task and requires bone augmentation for dental implants.
In the absence of teeth, food is crushed poorly, which eventually leads to a malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract.
The loss of a large number of teeth leads to a violation of diction and causes the appearance of deep wrinkles on the cheeks.
Non-carious lesion of tooth tissue
One of the causes of bone tissue atrophy is defeat for various reasons. This disease ranks second in the number of visits to the dentist after caries. May affect one or more teeth and present with a variety of symptoms.
Non-carious lesions of tooth tissues can be congenital or acquired. One of the manifestations of damage can be erosion. Enamel is damaged, which leads to darkening, hypersensitivity and aesthetic problem. The disease can last for a long time and lead to loss of teeth. Sometimes the cause of the development of pathology is nutrition with a high content of acids and s alts. Marinades and orange juice provoke the development of the disease. At the initial stage, the disease is not diagnosed, because the loss of enamel luster is not very noticeable. But over time, the patient complains of pain. Prevention of erosion is an important component to prevent the development of damage to the hard tissues of the teeth and atrophy.
Another common cause of tooth decay is tooth sensitivity. Under the influence of temperature, severe pain occurs, which quicklysubsides. The disease can disturb one tooth or affect several. If left untreated, there is a risk of surgery or removal. Vitamin-mineral complexes are taken to replenish the missing minerals in the tissues of the tooth.
Bone regeneration
Restoration of bone tissue has become possible thanks to the development of medicine. The doctor determines whether restoration is required before the implantation of the tooth. As a rule, this is necessary. Tooth bone augmentation takes 6 to 8 months.
Restoration of bone tissue is necessary in the following cases:
- missing tooth;
- periodontal disease;
- removal of the old implant;
- jaw injury;
- removal of a cyst in the cavity.
When a tooth is removed, especially during a complex procedure, inflammation can develop, which leads to the rapid erosion of bone tissue. The longer a tooth is not replaced, the more atrophy will appear and the more difficult it is to place a new implant.
When periodontal disease occurs, the destruction of bone tissue at the base of the tooth. If the disease is not stopped in time, this leads to the loss of the molar, and restoration will require augmentation of the jaw bone.
Removal of an artificial tooth is possible when using poor-quality material or poor-quality work. In such cases, the implant may break and damage the jaw. Therefore, soft and hard tissue repair will be required.
If the cyst was removed ortumor, it could touch the bone tissue. Then surgery will be required to repair the hard parts.
In case of a jaw injury, in particular a fracture, some parts need to be restored for further prosthetics.
Recovery Methods
To build up the bone part of the tooth, several methods are used, the use of which depends on the degree of atrophy.
Drug is used at the initial stage of atrophy to slow down the process.
The most common method is operational. Recovery occurs in full with minimal risk of side effects. How to deal with atrophy is up to the doctor, but the method will differ depending on which jaw is being operated on.
Restoration works are carried out under local anesthesia. Ultrasound is used to minimize damage and reduce recovery time. A drug is injected into the bone that stimulates cells to regenerate, and within 8 months the bone tissue is completely restored.
Sinus lift for recovery
The sinus lift procedure is designed to increase bone tissue by lifting the maxillary sinuses. It is used provided that the patient has no pathologies and allergic reactions.
If the patient has a history of chronic runny nose, sinusitis or multiple septa, the operation will not be performed.
The procedure allows you to increase the missing volume of bone tissue, but there remains a risk of appearance infurther chronic runny nose or inflammation.
Protecting the jaw from atrophy
Tooth bone atrophy is treated surgically, but this can be avoided if the hard tissue is not destroyed.
To do this, it is necessary to restore lost teeth in time and prevent the loss of existing ones. Implants are much better than other methods, because they have a root and create a load on hard tissues. Removable dentures do not provide a full load on the lower jaw, and over time, atrophy of the hard tissues of the teeth will occur. Treatment occurs similarly with a significant loss of the bone of the jaw. If hard tissues sag gradually, then correction of prostheses without treatment of atrophy will be required.
In the treatment of atrophy, the choice of treatment method depends on the desire of the patient. What does he want to achieve? Complete restoration of bone tissue and its function or create external beauty?
To prevent atrophy and other oral diseases, visit the dentist twice a year.
