Bone Grafting
Bone Grafting To Prepare The Jawbone To Receive Implants
Over a period of time, the jawbone associated with missing teeth atrophies or is reabsorbed. This often leaves a condition in which there is poor quality and quantity of bone suitable for placement of dental implants. In these situations, most patients are not candidates for placement of dental implants.
Today, we have the ability to grow bone where needed. This not only gives us the opportunity to place implants of proper length and width, it also gives us a chance to restore functionality and esthetic appearance.
Bone grafting can repair implant sites with inadequate bone structure due to previous extractions, gum disease, or injuries. The bone is either obtained from a tissue bank or your own bone is taken from the jaw. Sinus bone grafts are also performed to replace bone in the posterior upper jaw. In addition, special membranes may be utilized that dissolve under the gum and protect the bone graft and encourage bone regeneration. This is called guided bone regeneration or guided tissue regeneration.
In many cases, we can use allograft material to implement bone grafting for dental implants. This bone is prepared from cadavers and used to get the patients own bone to grow into the repair site. It is quite effective and very safe. Synthetic materials can also be used to stimulate bone formation. We even use growth factors created by genetic engineering to accelerate and promote bone formation in graft areas.
These surgeries are performed in our office surgical suite under local anesthesia or sedation. After discharge, bed rest is recommended for one day and limited physical activity for one week.
Sinus Lift Procedure
The Sinus Lift or Sinus Graft procedure may be performed as a solution to aument and stabilize bone to prepare for place dental implant placement.
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Ridge Expansion
In severe cases, the ridge has been reabsorbed and a bone graft is placed to increase ridge height and/or width. This is a technique used to restore the lost bone dimension when the jaw ridge gets too thin to place conventional implants. In this procedure, the bony ridge of the jaw is literally expanded by mechanical means. Bone graft material may be placed and matured for a few months before placing the implant. In many instances the dental implants can be placed the same day that the bone is expanded.