Understanding Bone Loss and Its Impact
Bone loss in the jaw can result from missing teeth, periodontal disease, or trauma. This loss affects more than just oral health and function—it can also change your facial appearance by reducing the support that keeps the natural contours of your face intact.
When a tooth is extracted, the bone underneath it no longer gets the stimulation it needs from chewing and biting. Without this stimulation, the bone can shrink, with up to 25% of bone width being lost in the first year after a tooth is removed.
What is Bone Grafting?
Bone grafting procedures help restore the lost bone to its original size, which not only improves facial aesthetics but also repairs damage from gum disease and supports the success of dental implants. A bone graft acts as a platform for new bone growth, and the graft material can come from the patient, a donor, or be made from synthetic, bone-like materials.
Types of Bone Grafting Procedures
There are several types of bone grafts, with the best approach depending on your specific needs. A bone graft can be done at the same time a tooth is extracted to minimize bone loss or sometime after tooth loss through a separate procedure. If done later, the dentist will expose the bone, place the graft, and then suture the soft tissue back in place.
For patients who don’t have enough bone in the upper jaw to support a dental implant, a sinus lift may be required. This procedure involves lifting the sinus membrane and adding bone graft material to create the needed height for an implant.
Bone Grafting for Implants and Aesthetic Purposes
Bone grafting is often done to preserve or increase the bone ridge for dental implants, but it can also be used to restore the natural contours of the bone for aesthetic reasons when preparing for fixed bridgework.
To ensure successful tissue regeneration and protect the graft, special membranes and biologically active materials are sometimes placed over the graft site to promote healing.
