It is important that dental implants are placed in sufficient volume of good quality bone. However, for some people, jawbone shrinkage after the loss of teeth leaves them without enough bone to secure an implant.
Other causes of insufficient volume of jawbone to support the dental implant
- Gum disease
- Injury or trauma
- Long-term use of denture
- Developmental disturbances of natural teeth
Fortunately, there are bone grafting techniques to grow jawbone and provide a strong foundation for dental implants.
Types of bone grafting techniques
- Guided bone regeneration
- Barrier membranes are used to direct the growth of new bone at sites with insufficient volume of the jawbone.
- Ridge expansion bone grafting
- The bone graft material is added to a small space created at the crest of the jawbone to increase the width of the jawbone.
- Sinus elevation for the upper back teeth area
- The bone graft material is added below the membrane of the sinus to increase the volume of the jawbone. This procedure does not affect speech or cause sinus problems.
Our team can advise you whether you will need a bone grafting procedure, and recommend the most suitable bone grafting technique.