Bone Grafting for Dental Implants
Allentown, PA
 Dental implants are a highly popular treatment for replacing missing teeth. This unique approach to tooth replacement uses small titanium posts that are surgically implanted into your jawbone to provide support for your dental restorations. Your bone gradually fuses to the posts during the recovery process, stabilizing them within your jaw. Once healed, they become stable roots that hold your new teeth in place. For implants to be placed successfully, there needs to be sufficient bone mass in your jaw. If you lack the necessary bone mass, Lehigh Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery can make implants possible with bone grafting.
Poor Bone Mass and Dental Implants
Dental implants are an incredibly successful treatment for replacing missing teeth, providing a 98% success rate. A major factor in the success of your dental implants is the condition of your jawbone. Implants rely on a process called osseointegration. This is a natural process in which your jawbone fuses to the posts, turning them into brand-new roots that are used to provide stable support for dental restorations. If you do not have enough bone mass in your jaw, your bone may not be able to fuse properly, or at all. Improper fusion, or failure to fuse, results in loose implants posts and unstable restorations, and can ultimately result in implant failure.
Bone Grafting for Dental Implants
Bone grafting is a procedure that is performed to restore mass to weak areas of bone. For dental implants, the procedure involves transplanting bone material from another area of your body, or from a donor, to the weak areas of your jaw. As you heal from the procedure, your existing bone mass fuses to or around the graft material and restores mass, strength, and stability to your jawbone. A successful bone graft allows us to more successfully place dental implants.
The Different Types of Bone Grafts
There are a few different types of bone grafts that may be used. During your initial consultation, we discuss the bone graft options and, with a thorough oral exam and evaluation of your medical history, can determine the best type of bone graft to provide you with the best results.
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Autograft. An autograft uses bone mass from another area of your body. The major benefit of this type of grafting is that there is no risk of rejection or disease transmission. It does, however, require a second surgical site.
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Allograft. An allograft uses bone mass taken from another human. The donor tissue, taken from a tissue bank, is screened before use to reduce the risk of complications. The biggest advantage of this procedure is that you do not require an extra surgical wound.
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Xenograft. A xenograft uses bone mass from a non-human species, typically bovine. The bone is processed at high temperatures, which makes it safe for use. This type of graft is beneficial if we need to fill larger spaces of missing bone graft and no additional surgical wounds are required.
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Alloplast. An alloplast refers to a synthetic bone graft. Materials commonly used for these types of grafts include bone morphogenic protein and demineralized bone matrix. |
The Bone Graft Process
Bone grafting requires a surgical procedure. After receiving a local anesthetic and sedation, small incisions are made in the gums to provide us with access to your jawbone. We then take the harvested bone mass, whether it is your own bone mass or donor tissue and place it into the weak areas of your jaw. Finally, your gums are sutured closed. Once you have fully healed, we are then able to begin the process of placing your dental implants.
If you are lacking the necessary bone mass for dental implants, a bone graft can restore mass, height, and width to the bone, making implants possible. For more information, and to find out if a bone graft is right for you, call Lehigh Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery today at (610) 435-6161. |
