Bone Grafting:

Bone grafting is a surgical procedure that replaces missing bone.  In the past, when tooth extractions, gum disease or injury compromised the structure of your jawbone, you were not a candidate for dental implants. There simply wasn’t enough bone to support an implant.

The picture above illustrates the bone loss that occurs after a tooth has been extracted.  When a tooth is lost, the lack of stimulation causes loss of alveolar bone — its external width, then height, and ultimately bone volume. There is a 25% decrease in width of bone during the first year after tooth loss and an overall 4 millimeters decrease in height over the next few years.

Today, we have the ability to grow bone where needed. This gives us the opportunity to place implants that are the proper length and width for your jawbone and restore the functionality and appearance of your mouth.

We use bone grafting to repair dental implant sites with inadequate bone structure and other defects of the jaws. These defects may arise as a result of tooth extractions, traumatic injuries, tumor surgery, or congenital defects.  After several months of healing, the bone becomes part of the patient’s jaw and is strong enough to provide a foundation.

Please ask us to explain the benefits and risks to see if this treatment is right for you.