Bone Grafting
Walnut Creek, CA
Before we are able to place a
Dental Implant, most patients will require a simple procedure, performed in office, called a
bone graft. Though it may sound intimidating, a bone graft is actually quite simple. During your evaluation, one of our dentists, Dr. Keith or Dr. Gibbs, will evaluate the strength and density of the bone present and offer you information on the prospect of success based on the bone, along with information on bone grafting.
At the Dental Implant Center at Walnut Creek, we can very simply help you rebuild deteriorated bone, preparing your jaw for in-depth dental restoration that will improve function and aesthetics.
Why Would I Need a Bone Graft?
If bone is not continually stimulated with pressure and motion, it will atrophy. We often think of atrophy in other areas of the body, such as an arm that has been in a cast for weeks, or a patient who has spent extended time in a hospital bed, but we may not think about atrophy in our jawbone. Without the pressure of a tooth near the jaw bone, along with the motion of chewing with that tooth, the bone deteriorates and loses mass. This is also known as bone reabsorption.
Once reabsorption occurs, the jaw is no longer wide or strong enough to support having a tooth implant placed. Implants are a titanium metal device, that resembles a screw, that we place directly into your jawbone. Without solid levels of bone present, the implant does not have the structure it needs to be strong. In order to be a
candidate for a tooth implant, we need to place a bone graft. By taking the time in preparation, our prosthodontists at the Dental Implant Center at Walnut Creek can help the procedure be much more successful.
The three most common bone grafting procedures are:
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Socket Preservation: When the patient has a tooth extracted, we can slow down the the reabsorption process and preserve the socket that holds the tooth with bone graft material. This will help us restore the tooth later.
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Ridge Augmentation: After a tooth has been missing for a period of time, we can widen the ridge, by rebuilding the atrophied bone with a bone graft.
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Sinus Lift: Is similar to a ridge augmentation for the upper jaw. |
Placing a Dental Bone Graft
The ability to grow bone quickly and easily is possible. Through a very simple, in-office procedure, we can grow the necessary bone needed to assist in the placement of Dental Implants, improving the odds for success.
There are multiple sources of bone that we are able to use for your graft. In our practice we use either synthetic bone or processed sourced bone. The amount we use is very tiny, as it takes very little to stimulate bone growth. After a period of healing, new bone will have grown and strengthened surrounding bone. This step allows us to continue the restoration process to improve both functionality and aesthetics.
Contact our office in Walnut Creek, CA. Our prosthodontists, Scott E. Keith, DDS, MS, FACP and Quincy L. Gibbs, DDS, FACP are here to answer your questions about bone grafts, and preparing your jaw for implant surgery. Call us at (925) 266-3550.
