Denture Stabilisation & Loss of Jawbone


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Dental implants rely on the jawbone for a lot of their structural stability. In fact, the process of inserting dental implants relies on a fusion between the robust jawbone and the titanium implants to provide a solid, stable foundation to which prosthetic teeth can be attached. This is an important consideration for anyone looking to have dental implants installed.

It may surprise you to find out that our bones are actually dynamic structures which rely on constant stimulation to maintain their density and strength. If your stress your bones and give them time to recover, they will become stronger and more dense over time. However in the absence of stimulation, the body begins a mechanism of resorption, where bone material is harvested for use elsewhere.


When we lose teeth we also lose a signal transmitted through chewing and biting that maintains the jawbone. Overtime, this will result in the resorption of jawbone, leaving the jaw diminished.

Because of the importance of integration between implants and the jawbone, most implant technologies require a certain amount of jawbone to support the presence of implants. In cases where a person has lost some jawbone, he or she will probably not be eligible for a number of different dental implants, simply because there isn’t enough bone material to fuse with and support implants and any attached dentures.

Fortunately there are still options available to anyone looking to pursue dental implants despite having lost a certain amount of jawbone, and these will be discussed in more detail in the following section.

What kinds of implants can I have if I have lost some bone density in my jaw?

All-on-4 implants are a particular dental technology which can be used by people lacking jawbone. These implants don’t require as much bone to support them as fewer actual implants are involved, 4 to be precise, far fewer than as many as 10 required by other similar technologies.

Interestingly all-on-4 implants don’t sacrifice stability despite the fact that substantially fewer implants are needed. Instead, each implant is engineered and placed to maximise their contact with the surrounding jawbone. 2 implants are placed to the front part of the jaw, where the bone is thickest and can offer the most support, and the other 2 are placed at an angle towards the rear of the jaw, completing the overall structure. All-on-4s have proven extremely reliable since their inception, and the technology offers other distinct advantages which have made it very popular, both amongst those who need the alternative because of a loss of jawbone and those who have a wealth of choice between different implant technologies.

All-on-4s have also shown a capacity to help restore bone density. These implants can, once in place, mimic the natural signal supplied to the jawbone through a chewing and biting motion. This triggers natural mechanisms that strengthen the bone to better support artificial teeth.

To find out whether this option is viable for you, the best course of action is to speak to your dentist about the possibility of having all-on-4 implants. There are always other considerations which can affect whether or not you are suitable for the procedure, but one of the major advantages of all-on-4s has been the fact that they can suit people who might not be able to take advantage of other implant technologies.

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