Rebuilding and maintaining bone

Everyone is unique, and dental implant surgery results may differ from person to person. We'll assess your bone condition to determine if a bone graft might be necessary. Dental bone grafts are procedures designed to restore your bone to its original shape after tooth loss, gum disease, or injury. 

Preserving and restoring facial bone structure is crucial for various reasons. Certain dental procedures, like implant placement, require the bone to be as close to its original size and position for the best outcomes. Additionally, the jaw and facial bones provide support for the skin and muscles, contributing to our outward appearance. Without the underlying bone support, our faces may show signs of premature aging.

When a tooth is removed, we might recommend socket grafting during that appointment. If your jawbones aren't enough to support dental implants during the implant placement appointment, we may suggest bone expansion, bone manipulation procedures, or even bone graft surgery. These procedures help ensure a strong foundation for successful dental implant support.

1.Socket grafting
Is a procedure of placing bone directly into the tooth socket immediately after tooth removal.
A socket bone graft should take three to four months to heal.
This means that the site will then be ready to receive a dental implant.
What can happen if you don't get a bone graft after an extraction? The bone will heal, but it will heal in its own way – meaning that the walls that used to house that tooth could collapse in and cause you to lose the height of bone and you may also lose width of the bone.

2.Bone expansion-Bone manipulation
Ridge expansion refers to the surgical, lateral widening of the residual ridge using chisels and/or osteotomes. This expansion process is done to make enough room for the patient to receive a bone graft and/or a dental implant.
Benefits of this technique:

o    More predictable surgery

o    Quicker treatment times

o    Less invasive procedures

o    Faster healing

o    Reduced cost - less graft and biomaterials used

o    Compliments and enhances GBR

o    Less discomfort for the patient

o    Improve on conventional implant placement

o    Prevent future bone loss