Advanced Dental Implant Grafting Techniques

According to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, more than 30 million Americans are missing all their teeth in one or both jaws. Missing teeth can be filled with fixed bridges or removable dentures to restore the ability to eat, speak clearly and to smile. However, advanced dentistry has invented dental implants to restore look and replace missing teeth. The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons reported that the overall success rate of dental implants is about 95 percent, making it a very viable option for replacing missing teeth.

Dental Implants

• Dental implants are aesthetic creations of false teeth, also known as restorations. To make a dental implant, a titanium implant (it looks like a screw or cylinder) is placed in your jaw bone to allow it to bond to the jaw bone. The fusion process can take from 2 to 6 months. Once fusion has taken place, you will be ready for your replacement tooth or teeth. To mount the new tooth, the dentist will uncover the implant and attach a small metal post, also known as an abutment, to hold the new tooth. In some cases, the implant system already has an extension, so the abutment is not required.

  However, in many cases, where bone loss of the jaw bone is extensive due to aging, prolonged denture use, missing teeth or periodontal disease, bone grafts will have to be made. Bone grafts are used to build up the jaw bone so it is deep and wide enough to hold an implant.

Different Techniques of Bone Grafts

• According to the American Academy of Periodontology, there are two main advanced bone grafting techniques. The method chosen depends on the severity and the areas of bone loss. Sinus augmentation is often used to build bone loss in the upper back jaw. The reason? The upper back jaw often lacks bone quantity and quality and it is also close to the sinus. This procedure involves raising the sinus floor by lifting the sinus membrane and then grafting the bone onto the sinus wall to build it up so it can hold implants. Usually grafted bone is allowed to develop for about 4 to 12 months before implants can be placed.

  Sometimes, your jaw bone lacks width to hold implants. Such cases call for ridge modification. In this procedure, gum is lifted away from the ridge. The deficient ridge is then packed with bone or bone substitutes to build it up. It may take 4 to 12 months to generate enough bone to place implants. In some cases, implants can be placed at the same time that the ridge is modified. This is often decided by the periodontist.

Are You a Dental Implant Candidate?

• Most people qualify for dental implants, even those with bone loss and chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, according to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Smokers may have a lower success rate. Children with developing jaw growth will not make good candidates unless it is part of the child's orthodontic treatment plan.