by Rana Baroudi
Dr. Baroudi is a Board Certified Periodontist. She has successfully passed the American Board of Periodontology oral and written examinations covering all phases of periodontal disease, its treatment and dental implants. She is also an Associate Clinical Professor of Periodontology at UCSF where she enjoys teaching and lecturing on a bi-monthly basis.
Learn MoreTo understand why dental implants are so effective at protecting your appearance, it helps to look at what happens the moment a tooth is lost. The bone that once surrounded the root—called the alveolar ridge—exists to support that tooth. Without the tiny, daily signals that chewing sends through the root, the body begins to recycle that bone. In the first year after extraction, width and height can shrink noticeably, and over time the jaw can narrow, the lips lose support, and the lower face takes on a prematurely aged, “collapsed” look. Implants break this cycle by replacing the root itself, restoring the stimulation bone needs to stay dense and stable, and giving your facial soft tissues a firm foundation again.
Bone is dynamic tissue, constantly balancing build-up and breakdown based on demand. When a tooth is present, every bite transmits load through the periodontal ligament to the surrounding socket, telling the body, “keep this bone strong.” Remove the tooth and that message goes silent. The thin “bundle bone” lining the socket resorbs first, then the outer wall thins, and the ridge gradually loses volume and changes shape. Removable dentures and traditional bridges can restore the visible tooth, but they do not send the same internal signals to bone that a root (or root replacement) provides; in fact, removable dentures can accelerate resorption in areas where they press on the gums. This is why replacing lost roots with dental implants is the most predictable way to preserve bone long term.
An implant is a small titanium post placed in the jaw to serve as an artificial root. After it integrates with your bone, chewing forces travel through the implant into the surrounding jaw, re-establishing the mechanical stimulation that tells bone cells to maintain—and often rebuild—density. That biologic partnership is the heart of implant dentistry: form follows function. Because implants anchor directly in bone, they stabilize the bite, distribute forces evenly, and keep the ridge from collapsing. The result isn’t just a stronger foundation for a crown, bridge, or full-arch restoration; it’s a quieter biology with less inflammation, a more stable gumline, and an underlying bony architecture that supports your facial profile.
Patients often focus on the tooth that’s missing, but it’s the supporting scaffolding that shapes your face. When the ridge thins in the front of the mouth, the upper lip can appear flatter and the smile line less full; in the back of the mouth, loss of vertical height can shorten the lower face and deepen facial folds. By placing dental implants where support is missing, Dr. Rana Baroudi restores the internal framework that props up soft tissues. Even single implants can help maintain papillae (the small gum peaks between teeth) and natural contours; multiple implants can re-establish midface support and create a more youthful, stable foundation for chewing, speaking, and smiling with confidence.
The best bone preservation strategy starts the day a tooth is removed. When an extraction is planned, Dr. Baroudi often recommends ridge preservation—placing a small graft in the socket and securing it as you heal—to hold width and height so the site is ready for a future implant with less treatment and shorter timelines. If a tooth has been missing for months or years and the ridge has already thinned, precisely targeted bone grafting can rebuild volume. In the upper back jaw, where the sinus can drop into the empty space, a gentle sinus augmentation lifts the membrane and adds bone so an implant has the vertical height it needs. When width is severely deficient, a structural block grafting approach may be used to restore the ridge to proper dimensions. The path you take is personalized after a comprehensive periodontal exam with 3D imaging, which maps bone quality, identifies anatomic landmarks, and sequences steps for the most predictable outcome.
In carefully selected cases, an implant can be placed the same day a tooth is removed, preserving soft-tissue contours and reducing total treatment time. In others, a brief healing period or staged grafting produces a more stable, long-term result. Dr. Baroudi will weigh factors like infection, remaining bone thickness, bite forces, and esthetic demands to decide if immediate placement is wise or if ridge preservation followed by delayed implant placement will yield greater stability. For full-arch solutions, approaches such as All-on-4 implants can strategically use the strongest areas of bone to avoid larger grafts and accelerate smile restoration, while still protecting the underlying jaw from future resorption.
Bridges rely on neighboring teeth for support and do not stimulate the bone where the tooth was lost; the span beneath the pontic can continue to resorb. Removable dentures rest on the gums and can compress the ridge, sometimes hastening the very loss we’re trying to prevent. In contrast, single implants, implant bridges, and full-arch restorations such as implant-supported dentures or All-on-4 implants anchor directly to bone. That internal connection is what preserves bone volume and facial contours over time. Many patients who transition from a removable plate to a fixed, implant-supported option also notice clearer speech, stronger chewing, and a dramatic boost in confidence—benefits that go hand in hand with healthier bone.
Gum health is the unsung hero of bone preservation. Inflamed tissues harbor bacteria that can threaten both natural teeth and implants. Before implant placement, Dr. Baroudi addresses periodontal concerns with meticulous cleaning such as periodontal scaling and root planing and, when indicated, adjunctive technologies like laser periodontal therapy or laser gum surgery to reduce bacterial load and improve tissue response. If recession or thin tissue could compromise long-term stability or esthetics, targeted soft-tissue reinforcement with gum grafting may be recommended around implants or adjacent teeth. A calm, well-sealed gumline helps protect the underlying bone and keeps the implant-to-bone connection healthy for years to come.
Implant care is typically completed with local anesthesia and the option for sedation, and most patients describe pressure rather than pain during surgical steps. If your case requires bone grafting, sinus augmentation, or block grafting, you’ll receive tailored home-care instructions and a clear timeline for healing and implant placement. Early recovery usually involves mild tenderness and short-lived puffiness that are well managed with over-the-counter medication and common-sense activity modifications. The deeper work—bone maturing around an implant and within grafted sites—continues quietly over weeks to months, laying down the dense, integrated foundation that preserves your facial structure.
Once your restoration is complete, daily habits and periodic professional care keep your bone healthy. Meticulous brushing, interdental cleaning with floss or water flossers, and customized tools for reaching around implant contours are essential. If you clench or grind, a nightguard can limit excessive forces on the bone-implant interface. Avoiding smoking, managing systemic conditions like diabetes, and attending recommended maintenance visits all contribute to a stable, low-inflammation environment. At follow-ups, Dr. Baroudi will check your bite, monitor gum health, and take necessary images to confirm that bone levels remain stable around your dental implants and any implant-supported restorations, including implant-supported dentures or All-on-4 implants.
Every smile and every jaw is unique, which is why success begins with a thorough periodontal exam. Using detailed measurements and 3D imaging, Dr. Baroudi will show you where bone is strong, where it needs support, and how best to stage care—whether that means immediate implant placement with ridge preservation, targeted bone grafting, a conservative sinus augmentation, or a full-arch solution anchored by implant-supported dentures or All-on-4 implants. The goal is simple and powerful: replace roots to preserve bone, protect your facial structure, and give you a bite that feels natural and strong—today and for the long run.
