NavigationDental Implant Bone Grafting
What does bone grafting do?
Dental implant bone grafting helps increase the amount of jaw bone space available to place dental implants. In order to effectively install an implant in the jaw, there must be an adequate amount of healthy bone to support it.
Dental implant grafting replaces missing bone lost from previous dental extractions, injuries, accidents, cysts, periodontal disease, etc. Grafting helps create more durable restorations that will last a lifetime.
How is the procedure done?
Grafting is a surgical procedure that is preformed within our office. It replaces the bone that has been lost with material from either the patient’s own body (autogenous bone) or with a natural, artificial, or synthetic substitute. Dr. Sporborg will discuss with you which option would be the best for your mouth.
There are several different techniques of grafting which are utilized in many procedures in order to ensure that the results are predictable and sound.
Lateral Sinus Lift
The maxillary sinuses are behind your cheeks, on top of the upper teeth. They are hollow cavities in your bone. Sometimes roots to the natural upper teeth extend up into the maxillary sinuses. When these teeth are removed, there is often just an egg shell thin wall of bone separating the maxillary sinus and the mouth. Dental Implants need bone to hold them in place, so a very thin sinus wall may need reinforcement.
One solution is called a sinus graft or lateral sinus lift. Dr. Sporborg can enter the sinus from the side above where the upper teeth used to be. The sinus membrane is then lifted upward and donor bone is inserted into the floor of the sinus. After several months of healing the bone becomes part of the patient’s jaw and dental implants can be inserted and stabilized in the new sinus bone.
This type of graft makes it possible for many patients with low bone levels to have dental implants when years ago there was no other option other than wearing loose dentures.
Guided Tissue Regeneration
Soft tissue, such as gum tissue, grows very fast while bone grows very slowly. When a surgical hole is created by your dentist, soft tissue blocks out the bone from growing into the hole. When bone is needed in an area to place dental implants, uncontrolled gum tissue growth is a problem. A membrane barrier can be used to cover the surgical site and block out the gum tissue from growing into the area. This allows the more slowly growing bone to fill the surgical hole without any competition. Because the bone regenerates in the surgical hole, the technique is called guided tissue regeneration.
Guided tissue regeneration can be used to repair defects around previously placed dental implants or to create additional bone in deficient areas before placing dental implants. The surgical hole can be filled with several different types of grafting materials before covering the area with a protective membrane barrier.
