When you lose a tooth, the connected area of your jawbone will no longer receive the stimulation it needs for healthy bone growth. Over time, this will cause your jawbone to deteriorate and interfere with your candidacy for dental implants.
Thanks to surgical advances, we now have the ability to replace your bone as needed and prepare your mouth for implant placement with a bone graft procedure.
To perform this treatment, we’ll obtain bone tissue from another part of your body or from a donor and graft it to your jawbone. Bone grafting takes advantage of your bone’s natural ability to regenerate, as the new tissue will absorb and integrate into your existing tissue. With the help of this procedure, you can restore your jawbone to full strength and prevent major complications for your oral health.
When you have a tooth extracted, we clean out the socket to remove any remaining bacteria and fill it with a suitable bone grafting material. After we suture up the area, you can expect your tooth socket to heal in three to six months.
Your maxillary sinuses are behind your cheeks, on top of your upper teeth. The roots of some of your natural teeth extend up into your maxillary sinuses. If these teeth are removed, you’re left with only a thin wall of bone between your mouth and your sinuses, making it very difficult to place dental implants.
Thankfully, we can overcome this setback with a sinus lift treatment. This procedure involves elevating your sinus membrane and inserting a bone graft in the sinus floor, which is also the roof of your upper jaw. After a healing period of several months, the bone will become naturally integrated with your jaw and ready to support dental implants.
In severe instances of jawbone deterioration, your ridge can reabsorb and become too thin for implant placement. For cases like this, we can perform a bone graft to expand the height or width of your jaw ridge. After allowing a few months for the grafting material to set, you’ll be ready for dental implants.
Your inferior alveolar nerve is responsible for the sensations in your chin and lower lip. Sometimes this nerve needs to be moved in order to accomodate implant placement in your lower jaw. This procedure is only used for patients who are missing teeth in the area of their two back molars in the lower jaw.
To begin the procedure, we remove an outer section of your lower jawbone to expose the nerve. Next, we’ll isolate the nerve and pull it slightly to the side. After we place your dental implants, the nerve will be released and we’ll fill your surgical area with bone grafting material before closing it.
As a result of advancements in dental technology and surgical techniques, nearly any patient can now be a candidate for dental implants. Whether you need to restore your jawbone, expand your jaw ridge, or re-position your nerve, Drs. Dugan and Sweeney can take care of your needs.
Contact one of our four convenient locations in the Pittsburgh area today and schedule a consultation with one of our doctors. It’s the first step of your journey to a healthy and beautiful smile.
The procedure becomes more complex to perform as time passes, therefore it’s typically recommended following a tooth extraction.
There are various reasons the body may fail to create more bone, including:
The upside is that we can always try again. Bone grafting isn’t for everyone, but when the procedure is carried out by trusted oral surgeons like Drs. Snyder and Dugan, you can be certain they’ll make sure you’re a good candidate prior to the procedure.
