Grafting
Bone Grafting
After a tooth is extracted, the jawbone at the opening is no longer stimulated to create new bone. Over time, the area where the tooth was extracted will collapse and shrink. This often leaves a condition in which there is poor quality and quantity of bone suitable for placement of dental implants. We now have the ability to grow bone where needed. This not only gives us the opportunity to place implants of proper length and width, it also gives us a chance to restore functionality and cosmetic appearance.
At OSST, we take preventive measures to maintain the surrounding bone and gum contour for future tooth placement. We offer a variety of grafting techniques to restore the original bone structure prior to tooth loss. Therefore, a dental implant can look and feel like your natural tooth.
Bone Grafting Overview
For a brief narrated overview of the bone grafting process, please click the image on the right. It will launch our flash educational MiniModule in a separate window that may answer some of your questions about bone grafting.
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Sinus Grafting
The maxillary sinuses are behind your cheeks and on top of the upper teeth. Tooth loss below the sinus leads to bone loss, and over time, the sinus expands leaving a thin wall of bone separating the maxillary sinus and the mouth. When the sinus wall is very thin, it is difficult to place dental implants in this bone.
There is a solution and it's called a sinus graft. A variety of techniques are available for modifications to the existing bone architecture to offer a stable foundation for dental implant placement.