Dental Bone Graft

Dental Bone Graft/Bone Augmentation

Bone augmentation also referred to as bone grafting, is a procedure typically needed when the current bone mass of your jaw is not suitable to successfully incorporate dental implants. Luckily, in this day and age, our doctors can grow bone where it is needed. When the bone mass is too thin or soft to keep an implant in place, a bone augmentation will help so the bone can fuse to the dental implant and keep it secure. If a dental implant is placed in the jaw where the bone structure is not sufficient, the likelihood of the implant failing increases.

A dental bone graft adds volume and density to your jaw in areas where bone loss has occurred. The bone graft material may be taken from your own body (autogenous), or it may be purchased from a human tissue bank (allograft) or an animal tissue bank (xenograft). In some instances, the bone graft material may be synthetic (alloplast).

Types of bone grafts:

• Socket preservation: Sometimes called ridge preservation, this type of graft is placed in the socket immediately after tooth extraction. It fills the void left behind by the missing tooth and prevents the sides of the socket from caving in.

• Ridge augmentation: If your teeth have been missing for a while, the supporting jawbone may be thinner than it was before. Ridge augmentation increases the width and volume of the jawbone so it can provide a stable foundation for implants or other restorative options.
• Sinus lift: The maxillary sinuses sit just above your upper back teeth. If the upper back teeth are missing, the sinuses can drop down and invade the space once occupied by the teeth roots. In this scenario, you wouldn’t want to place implants because they would penetrate the sinus membrane. To address this problem, your oral surgeon or periodontist can perform a sinus lift. This procedure raises the sinus back to its proper position. A dental bone graft is then placed underneath the sinus, creating a solid foundation for dental implants later on.
• Periodontal bone graft: Infection from gum disease can erode the bone that supports the teeth. This can cause the teeth to become loose. A periodontal bone graft is placed around an existing tooth to reduce mobility and provide additional support.
• In most cases, bone grafts for dental implants must heal completely before the actual implant is placed. Because each person is unique, recovery times vary. In rare instances, your dentist may be able to place a bone graft and a dental implant at the same time. But this is decided on a case-by-case basis.

 

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