Periodontal Disease is caused by bacterial plaque and tartar growing on the roots of your teeth under your gumline. Over time the bacteria eat away the supporting bone around the teeth. If your bite has changed due to missing or drifted teeth oftentimes this damage is extensive. If left untreated this bone loss will progress until your teeth are lost. Dr. Port uses a surgical technique called bone grafting to reverse this damage and rebuild your jawbone.
If you have a space where a tooth has been missing for a long time you know how much thinner and lower the bone is in this spot. If an implant is not placed in this area the bone will continue to shrink throughout life. This is why so many denture wearers need to use adhesives to hold their teeth in place. Their jaws are continually shrinking. Sometimes if a defect is present and the patient wants an implant, special bone grafting techniques can be used to graft bone to augment the site. This gives us a chance to effectively restore esthetics and function in this area.