As recently as the 1950s, patients with periodontal disease were often treated by tooth extraction, a step that has since been found to trigger a slow, inexorable process of jaw-bone atrophy, said Seckinger. Patients who had their teeth extracted as young adults 40 years ago may now find that their residual jaw bone has dwindled to a thin plate that is inadequate for holding a denture in place. His maxilla had resorbed to a thickness of 5 mm, compared with a healthy thickness of 15-20 mm. During surgery, Barber took bone from his hip and moved it onto the maxilla, raising the maxillary sinus membrane in the process. After healing, several implants were inserted, and the patient was fitted for a denture by Seckinger.
Implants are a suitable treatment for most patients with jaw bone resorption.
Patients who are not candidates are those with severe osteoporosis and with bleeding disorders. Single Tooth Implants Implants can also replace individual teeth that are lost through trauma or infection. The conventional treatment is to cut down the two healthy teeth on either side of the gap and use crowns over these teeth to hold a false tooth in place. The alternative of using a single implant precludes the need to cut into the healthy teeth, and is no more costly than insertion of a bridge. Dental implants have created new prosthetic options for patients with lost teeth and jaw bone.