The atrophic jaw is in many cases a consequence of the loss of all teeth or wearing a removable appliance for many years. When the dental bone is diminishing due to lack of stimulation for about ten to fifteen years, this can lead to atrophy.
This condition of the jaw occurs mainly in older people and in those who have been missing teeth for several years. In these people, the jaw may have a vertical dimension of 6 millimeters or even less. These cases are called severe or terminal atrophy and as a result, the jaw may break just by yawning.
The option of bone grafting in these patients is complicated because when a bone has not worked for many years, it lacks blood vascularization, a major drawback for grafting.
Non-conventional dental implants
In cases of bone atrophy of the jaw, the nerve of the jaw may be exposed (see X-ray nº1 and preoperative studies nº2 and 3 in 3D), so conventional implants cannot be placed.
Implants in molars with atrophic mandible
Another problem of the atrophic jaw is that implants must also be placed in the molar parts, since they are the teeth with which we chew. There has to be a compensation, because if we have few front implants, they can fall out because they are not enough to support a balanced chewing (we usually have 14 teeth and molars with up to 3 roots).
Basal implantology, the solution in atrophic mandible
Thus, in order to perform a complete implantation of the jaw, it is essential to have a very strong support of the posterior part. The plates we offer are implants that can be placed on top of the nerves without touching them. They also have strong anchors to compensate the forces in the posterior region of the jaw.