Bone grafting

There are some cases where patients are not sure if they are good candidates for dental implants.  Often, this is due to recession of the jaw bone in an area where there are missing teeth.  When a tooth has been removed,  over time, the jaw bone begins to recede or resorb, leaving an area of thinned bone with less height.  Patients who have worn dentures for several years will notice that their dentures get loose, fit poorly and their face has a “sunken” appearance.  This is due to loss of the jaw bone structure in this area.  Many patients who would like to solve the problem of ill-fitting dentures with dental implants, have been told that there is no longer enough bone structure to support dental implants.  When this is the case, a procedure called bone grafting can often be performed in order to restore the bone height and width in the area.  Some bone graft procedures are very simple and require the addition of bone about the neck of the dental implant.  Other procedures to restore bone are more complex and require transplanting bone from one area of the jawbone to the needed area.  Dr. Weinstein prefers to use a combination of the patient’s own bone granules and demineralized human bone granules to accomplish an effective bone graft.

Sinus Lift Procedure

The upper jaw presents a challenge not found in the lower jaw.  Situated just above the roots of the molars in the upper jaw is the maxillary sinus.  The sinus is a hollow cavity in the skull.  When excess bone recession has occurred in this area, a dental implant cannot be placed without a bone graft.  The bone depth in this area can recede to a thickness of just a few millimeters. An implant placed in this area would protrude into the sinus.  A specialized procedure can be performed called a sinus lift which involves lifting the soft tissue of the sinus floor and bone grafting beneath it, creating adequate depth to accommodate a dental implant.  This is a very effective treatment for patients who have had severe maxillary bone loss and would like to restore the area with dental implants.

In some cases, patients may elect to have dental implants placed in the upper jaw using a technique that prevents the need for this type of bone grafting.  Using the “All-on Four” technique, dental implants are placed at angles that follow the bone structure, preventing the need for a bone graft.  This technique is often an option for patients who wish to restore the dentition of the entire upper jaw.

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