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Bone Graft
Bone grafting procedures are usually necessary if there is not enough bone available to place dental implants or if any vital anatomy is in the way.
Today, Bone Grafting procedures have become almost an integral part of Implant Reconstruction. In many instances, a potential implant site in the upper or lower jaw does not offer enough bone volume or quantity to accommodate a Rootform Implant of proper size or in the proper place. This is usually a result of bone resorption that has taken place since one or more teeth (if not all) were lost. Bone Grafting procedures usually try to re-establish bone dimension, which was lost due to resorption.
Bone Grafting
Major and Minor bone grafting
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.
Today, there išs the possibility to grow bone where needed and to place implants and as a result restore functionality and esthetic appearance.
Major Bone Grafting
Grafting can repair implant sites with inadequate bone structure due to previous extractions, gum disease or injuries. 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.
Sinus lift procedure
The maxillary sinuses are behind cheeks and above 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 difficult to place dental implants in this bone.
The surgeon 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 floor of the sinus. The floor of the sinus is the roof of the upper jaw. After several months of healing, the bone becomes part of the jaw and dental implants can be inserted and stabilized in this new 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 grafts and implant placement can sometimes be performed . If not enough bone is available, the Sinus Graft will be performed first, followed by implants after maturation of the graft.
Ridge Expansion
In situations where the bone ridge has been shrunk or reabsorbed 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 can be placed and matured for a few months before placing the implant.
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