With the ability to grow bone where needed, we can place implants of proper length and width, restoring functional and aesthetic appearance.
Bone grafting is often closely associated with dental restorations such as bridge work and dental implants. In most cases, the success of a restoration procedure can hinge on the height, depth, and width of the jawbone at the implant site. When the jawbone associated with missing teeth shrinks or has sustained significant damage, the implant(s) cannot be supported on this unstable foundation, and bone grafting is usually recommended for the ensuing restoration.
Causes for Jaw Bone Volume Shrinkage
- Periodontal Disease – Periodontal disease can affect and permanently damage the jaw bone that supports the teeth. Affected areas progressively worsen until the teeth become unstable.
- Tooth Extraction – Studies have shown that patients who have experienced a tooth extraction subsequently lose 40-60% of the bone surrounding the extraction site during the following three years. Loss of bone results in what is called a “bone defect.”
- Injuries and Infections – Dental injuries and other physical injuries resulting from a blow to the jaw can cause the bone to recede. Infections can also cause the jaw bone to recede in a similar way.
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, hip, or tibia (below the knee.) Sinus bone grafts are also performed to replace bone in the posterior upper jaw. In addition, special membranes that dissolve under the gum may be utilized to protect the bone graft and encourage bone regeneration. This is called guided bone regeneration or guided tissue regeneration.
Major bone grafts are typically performed to repair defects in the jaws. These defects may arise as a result of traumatic injuries, tumor surgery, or congenital defects. Large defects are repaired using the patient’s own bone. This bone is harvested from a number of different sites depending on the size of the defect. The skull (cranium), hip (iliac crest), and lateral knee (tibia) are common donor sites.
Sinus Lift
The maxillary sinuses are behind your cheeks and on top of the upper teeth. Sinuses are like empty rooms that have nothing in them. Some of the roots of the natural upper teeth extend up into the maxillary sinuses. When these upper teeth are removed, there is often just a thin wall of bone separating the maxillary sinus and the mouth. Dental implants need bone to hold them in place. When the sinus wall is very thin, it is impossible to place dental implants in this bone.
There is a solution, and it’s called a sinus graft or sinus lift graft. Our dentist enters the sinus from where the upper teeth used to be. The sinus membrane is then lifted upward, and donor bone is inserted into the sinus floor. Keep in mind that the floor of the sinus is the roof of the upper jaw. After several months of healing, the bone becomes part of the patient’s jaw, and dental implants can be inserted and stabilized in this new sinus bone.
The sinus graft makes it possible for many patients to have dental implants when, years ago, there was no other option other than wearing loose dentures.
If enough bone between the upper jaw ridge and the bottom of the sinus is available to stabilize the implant well, sinus augmentations and implant placement can sometimes be performed as a single procedure. If not enough bone is available, Sinus Augmentation will have to be performed first, and then the graft will have to mature for several months, depending upon the type of graft material used. Once the graft has matured, the implants can be placed.
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