When a tooth is lost, the bone around it shrinks – which is a natural physiological response from our body. Over a period of time, the jawbone associated with missing teeth atrophies or is reabsorbed. This often leaves a condition in which there is poor quality and quantity of bone suitable for placement of dental implants. In these situations, most patients are not candidates for placement of dental implants.
With over 30 years of clinical, hands-on experience in advanced fields of modern dentistry, Dr. Kostirko is able to offer his patients
bone grafting solutions to help him place implants of proper length and width. Which also allows him to restore the functionality of their teeth and their appearance.
What is Bone Grafting?
If your jaw bone is too thin or soft to keep a dental implant in place, there is an extremely good chance the implant will fail. In a bone graft procedure, a section of bone from another area of your body is taken , or as is a common procedure now, a special bone grafting material is used, and grafted onto your jaw bone. The recovery time is usually several months while the graft creates enough new, strong bone to ensure the implant will be stable and secure. It is possible to perform the bone graft and implant surgery at the same time. A successful bone graft will allow your jaw bone to be strong enough to support your dental implant.
Bone Grafting Jaw Bone Preservation
If you’ve had one tooth or several teeth missing for a long time, there’s a chance that the bone below where those teeth would have been have now become broken down. A breakdown in bony structure can also be caused by:
- Infection
- Facial trauma
- Growth deformity
- Periodontal disease
- Untreated cavities
In addition, when teeth are extracted, the surrounding bone and gums can shrink and recede very quickly after the extraction resulting in defects and collapse of your lips and cheeks.
These jaw defects can create major problems in performing future restorative dentistry whether your treatment involves dental implants,
bridges or dentures. Jaw deformities from tooth removal can be prevented and repaired by a procedure called socket preservation. Socket preservation can greatly improve your smile’s appearance and increase your chances for successful
dental implants for years to come.
Depending on his patient’s unique situation, Dr. Kostirko has been using various techniques to preserve bone and minimize bone loss after an extraction. In one common method, the tooth is removed and the socket is filled with bone or bone substitute. It is then covered with gum, artificial membrane, or tissue-stimulating proteins to encourage the body’s natural ability to repair the socket. With this method, the socket heals eliminating shrinkage and collapse of surrounding gum and facial tissues. The newly formed bone in the socket also provides a foundation for an implant to replace the tooth.
