Bone Grafting

Guided Tissue and Bone Regeneration

Guided Tissue Regeneration can rebuild the previously lost gum and jaw bone tissue surrounding a tooth. Most techniques use a membrane placed over the bone defects around the teeth, which encourages new bone growth. Some of these membranes dissolve away and some require removal. Other regenerative procedures involve the use of bioactive gels.

A bone graft may also be used to regenerate lost bone. The bone can be either taken from your mouth or from a synthetic source.

Sinus lift procedure

The maxillary sinuses are located above the upper teeth. They are large, empty spaces lined with a membrane of tissue. Some of the roots of the upper teeth naturally extend up into the maxillary sinuses.

The position of the sinus can limit the amount of bone available for the placement of dental implants. The solution is a bone graft to lift the sinus membrane away from the tip of the dental implant to be placed in the area. The dental implant surgeon does not enter the sinus but instead slightly raises the membrane lining the sinus and places a bone graft under the membrane. Often, the implant can be placed at the same time. After several months of healing, the grafted bone becomes part of the patient’s own bone and dental implants are secure.

The sinus graft makes it possible for many patients to have dental implants when in the past the only option was wearing loose dentures.

Ridge Expansion

When a tooth is lost or removed, the bone which held that tooth slowly resorbs. If a long period of time has passed since the loss of a tooth, the ridge of bone may be resorbed to such a severe degree that it is too thin to place a dental implant. There is safe technique to widen a thin bony ridge. The bony ridge can be gently expanded and a bone graft is inserted. The dental implant is often placed at the same time but it may be necessary to allow the bone graft to mature for several months before the implant placement procedure.

Ridge Preservation

When teeth are extracted, your body will attempt to repair the wound as soon as possible. Gum tissue will grow into the socket quickly, preventing full regrowth of bone, which may eliminate the option of placing a dental implant. Ridge preservation involves placing a safe and dissolvable membrane over the socket to prevent gum tissue from growing in. That allows bone, which is slower to repair, sufficient time to fill the space.