Bone Grafting

In some cases, patients experience issues with the gums and bones of the mouth and jaw. To address these issues, we provide procedures such as bone grafting and bone regeneration- which allow us to regrow the patients bone tissue. Once the bone tissues has been addressed, and that the bite and jaws are aligned properly the stage is set for any visual and functional improvements needed.

What Is Bone Grafting?

Bone grafting is used to help patients who have experienced atrophy, or deterioration, of the jawbone. Over time, these areas will begin to become reabsorbed by the body. When this occurs, the area of the jawbone may not be suitable for procedures such as dental implants. Bone grafting allows the periodontist to create a suitable jawbone width and length so that aesthetic appearance and functionality can be restored.

Bone grafting may be used when:

  • A patient has been missing teeth for extended periods of time, leading to atrophy
  • A patient has experienced a traumatic injury that led to atrophy
  • A patient has underwent oral surgery such as tumor removal, which caused bone loss
  • An individual born with congenital defects that created a shortage of bone tissue

Major Bone Grafting

To complete a major bone grafting procedure, the periodontist may obtain donor bone from a tissue bank, synthetic bone material, or the patient’s own body. When bone is taken from the patient’s body, it is referred to as an autograft or autogenous graft. In these cases, bone tissue may be taken from areas such as the patient’s hip bone, tibia bone in the lateral knee, skull, or other areas of the jawbone.

Sinus Grafting

For posterior upper jaw procedures, a sinus graft or sinus lift graft may be used. This procedure is used when patients need dental implants in the upper back teeth but missing teeth have led to atrophy of the bone. During this procedure, the periodontist will insert donor bone into the floor of the sinus, which is located directly above the upper back teeth. After several months, the donor bone will become part of the jaw, allowing for more stability for the patient’s dental implants.

Bone Regeneration

Guided tissue bone, or tissue regeneration, helps to encourage bone regeneration and protects the bone graft utilizing special membranes under the patient’s gums. Depending on the type of membrane used, they may require manual removal by the periodontist or they may be bio-absorbable, meaning that they will be naturally absorbed by the body over time. Other bone regeneration techniques may involve bioactive gels.