Dental Implants
Did you know that more than 178 million people in the US are missing one or more of their teeth? It’s true. And more alarming is the fact that this number is expected to rise even higher in the coming decades. However, if you are one of the millions of people with an incomplete smile, you can replace your missing teeth with dental implants.
Bone Grafting
A bone graft is a surgical procedure to repair your jawbone in preparation for dental implants. Your implants will be placed directly in or on top of your jawbone using the traditional dental implant method. Jawbone health is very important because a lack of foundational support cannot support the implant.
If you have missing teeth, it is common that your jawbone will recede. In doing so, you will experience premature aging and sagging around your mouth and teeth. The bone grafting procedure will restore jawbone strength and functionality.
Types of Bone Grafts
• Xenograft
-bone collected from a cow or other animals
-acts as a framework to fill the void
-cannot regenerate (no living cells)
• Allograft
-bone collected from a cadaver
-acts as a framework to fill the void
-cannot regenerate (no living cells)
• Autograft
-utilizes the patient’s own bone (i.e. chin, hip, lower leg)
-will regenerate on its own (has living cells)
-must have a procedure to collect the bone and to mend the jawbone itself
The Process
Before performing the bone graft, your doctor will complete an examination of your mouth and teeth. We will discuss the nature of the procedure and which graft is best for you. On the day of your appointment, you will be out under general or local anesthesia depending on the need of your condition.
Your specialist will make a small incision in order to expose your jawbone beneath the tissue. The collected bone will be filled into the void of your affected jawbone. Then, the graft will be secured with pains and screws. After stitching and bandaging, make sure that you take prescribed medication to prevent bacteria and relive pain.
Types of Implants
There are two types of dental implants to get you a beautiful smile. These are:
• Endosteal
-implant placed in the jawbone
-used to replace dentures or bridges
-commonly used
• Subperiosteal
-implant placed on top of your jawbone
-the implant head will be visible
