Bone Graft
Glendale, AZ
Bone Loss Occurs Immediately After Tooth Loss
Tooth loss has many significant effects on your life. Many of these effects are noticeable immediately, the impact on your smile, difficulty biting and chewing, and trouble speaking properly. Underneath the gums, something else is happening. When you lose teeth, your jaw loses stimulation. This lack of stimulation leads to fewer nutrients being delivered to the jaw and surrounding areas. Over time, the bone begins to grow weak, losing height, width, and mass. This causes your jaw to begin to change shape, which can affect your bite as well as your facial appearance. Skin sags and wrinkles form. Dental implants are a popular treatment for replacing missing teeth, but if you do not have enough bone mass in your jaw, they may not be successful. Arrowhead Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery can restore missing bone mass with bone grafting.
The Importance of Bone Mass for Dental Implants
When using dental implants to replace missing teeth, your jawbone plays an important role. After the implants are placed, the bone fuses to the posts, stabilizing them in your jaw. However, if you have lost too much bone mass, there may not be enough bone for proper fusion. This can result in implants that are wobbly. In some cases, your implants may not even integrate at all.
Restore Bone Health With a Dental Bone Graft
When you suffer tooth loss, your bone begins to deteriorate at the site of extraction. This is due to the fact that the root of your tooth stimulates your jaw bone. When the tooth is lost, its absence begins a process of deterioration. With prolonged multiple tooth loss, the consequences can be devastating, altering the underlying shape of your facial structure.
Bone volume is not only important to appearance, but also for tooth replacement. A dental implant, for example, needs sufficient amounts of bone for successful placement. If you are considering replacing missing teeth with a dental implant, you may need a dental bone graft. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Michael Allard to determine whether you are a candidate for bone grafting
What is Bone Grafting?
Bone grafting is a surgical procedure that is performed to restore missing bone mass in your jaw. When bone mass is replaced, the shape and strength of the jaw are restored, which can then make it possible for you to have dental implants placed. Bone grafting may use bone from another area of your own body, such as your hip or your femur, or it may use compatible donor bone from a tissue bank. We will be able to help determine the best type of bone graft to meet your specific needs.
The Different Types of Bone Grafts
There are a few different types of bone grafts that may be used. These include:
| • | Autografts. This type of graft uses bone from your own body. The biggest advantage of this graft is that there is no risk for disease transmission. However, there will be two surgical sites. |
| • | Allografts. This type of graft uses bone from a compatible donor. The bone is thoroughly screened to minimize risks of disease transmission. Only one surgical site is needed. |
| • | Xenogeneic grafts. A xenogeneic graft uses bone from other species, often cow or pig. The bone is processed at very high temperatures to minimize the risk for disease transmission. Like an allograft, only one surgical site is needed. |
| • | Synthetic grafting (artificially produced) may include Ceramic or Polymer based bone graft substitutes. |
| • | BMP or Bone Morphogenetic Protein is a protein that stimulates the growth of new bone. Many studies show that BMP is a safe/effective alternative to autogenous grafting. |
The Procedure for a Dental Bone Graft
The most commonly performed bone graft to prepare for your dental implant is an autogenous graft, which will be performed with local anesthetic. With this method, there are two surgical sites, one from which to collect donor tissue and the treatment site where the additional bone is required. Donor tissue is typically collected from the chin bone, under the front teeth. Dr. Allard can access the ample bone at the site through the inside of the mouth, leaving no visible scarring. Once this bone and a bit of marrow has been collected, it can be transplanted to the site of your future dental implant. Dr. Allard perfectly positions the new tissue at the treatment site and holds it in place with biocompatible titanium screws.
Over time, the new bone will integrate with the existing, augmenting bone volume and rendering a suitable foundation for your dental implant surgery.
Whichever bone grafting technique Dr. Allard and you agree suits your needs best, over time, the new bone will integrate and guide bone formation to improve the bony volume in the desired site. This will then render a more suitable foundation for overall health and may allow for additional implant procedures to then be undertaken in a site that was previously less than optimal. If you do not have enough bone at present, it is these kind of procedures that allow for improved cosmetic and functional results, both with and without implants. To schedule your bone grafting consultation please contact Dr. Allard in Glendale, AZ today.
