
Bone Grafting
In areas of the jaw where teeth are missing, many individuals will see significant bone loss and the jaw bone is reabsorbed. This often results in a condition where there is not the quality and quantity of bone required to place dental implants. Bone grafting gives us the ability to grow bone where it is needed for successful implant placement. It also allows our surgeons to restore functionality and aesthetics of the jaw.
Sinus bone grafting may also be performed to replace bone in the posterior upper jaw. In addition to the grafting, specialized membranes may be utilized to protect the bone graft and encourage bone regeneration. These membranes dissolve independently. This technique is called bone regeneration or guided tissue regeneration.
Today, we have the ability to grow bone where needed. This not only gives us the opportunity to place implants of proper length and width, it also gives us a chance to restore functionality and aesthetic appearance.
Major Bone Grafting
Bone grafting can also be used to repair inadequate bone structure due to previous extractions, gum disease or injuries. Most grafting can be done with bone from a tissue bank, although in some cases bone taken from the patient can be used as well.
Major bone grafts are typically performed to repair defects of the jaws. These defects may arise as a result of traumatic injuries, past surgery or congenital defects. Large defects are repaired using the patient’s own bone. This bone is harvested from a number of different sites, depending on the size of the defect. The skull (cranium), hip (iliac crest) and lateral knee (tibia) are common donor sites. These procedures are routinely performed in an operating room and require a hospital stay.