Dental implants are becoming more and more popular among patients, as they realize the benefits of a permanent solution to their missing teeth. If you have lost one or several of your teeth due to excessive decay, trauma to the mouth or another condition – talk to your dentist about dental implant replacement.
There are many unique benefits to dental implants include their durability, beauty and permanency in your mouth. You’ll likely forget you even have an implant. However, it is important to realize that not every patient is a good candidate for dental implant treatment. There is a certain level of jawbone that is required in order to properly fit your dental implant securely into your mouth. For those patients that do not have the proper levels of jawbone available to fit a dental implant, bone grafting may be a suitable option.
Bone grafting can be either a minor or major procedure depending on the amount of jawbone available and the number of teeth to be replaced. If there is a need to make major changes in the shape of the jaw so that a dental implant can be placed, the bone grafting should be done several months before the dental implant procedure is scheduled.
Bone grafts may be harvested from the patient’s own bone, come from a tissue bank or be made from synthetic materials. It is preferred that material to be used for bone grafting comes from the patient’s own bones. In minor bone grafting, bone shavings collected from drilling the jawbone for dental implantation placement can be collected and used for the grafting techniques. When a larger bone graft is required, a special surgery will be performed to harvest the bone from other areas in the patient’s body. Mineral bone substitutes are also a good option as they are sterile and absorbed by the patient’s body over time to be replaced by their own healthy bone.
If you are interested in dental implant surgery and have questions regarding the procedure or your need for bone grafting, contact Hampton Dental Associates for more information today.
