Why Bone Grafting May Be Necessary for Dental Implants

 

A strong foundation of bone is essential for successful dental implants procedures. If your jawbone is not strong enough to support the implant, however, the procedure may not be successful.

What causes jawbones to weaken? General deterioration may result from a missing tooth, if it is not promptly replaced. Diseases, like periodontal disease, can also weaken the jawbone. Some parts of the mouth also have less bone to begin with, such as the upper molars.

 

Your oral surgeon will determine whether you need a bone graft, taking into consideration such criteria as:

Is the available bone in your mouth sufficiently dense and thick? Is it sufficiently deep and wide? If your jawbone is not strong enough, a bone graft may be a good option for ensuring the success of your dental implant procedure.

Bone Grafting: How It Works

The concept of bone grafting is simple: It is taking a very small quantity of bone material from one part of your body, where it can be spared, and replacing it in another part of your body where it is needed. Healthy, strong bone fuses with weaker bone, and that combination aids your body to grow new bone in that weaker area. The bone often rebuilds to the point where a dental implant can be successfully supported.

The best and most common bone graft procedure is an autologous bone graft, which was just described. Bone is taken from one part of the body and transferred to another. If only a very small quantity of bone is needed, it may be taken from another part of the mouth. However, if more is needed or there is not enough strong bone material in the mouth, it might be taken from another part, like the shin. Read More…