When periodontal disease has destroyed the bone around your teeth, a bone grafting procedure can often be used to replace the missing bone.
Before we begin, we prepare the replacement material, which may be your own bone, bone from another source, or artificial bone.
Procedure to replace bone
Once the area is numb, we make small incisions in the gum and lift it away from the tooth.
Next, we remove any plaque and bacteria from the root surface of the tooth. Then, we place the grafting material into the areas where the bone has been destroyed.
Depending on the circumstances, additional treatments, such as special proteins or platelet-rich plasma may be applied to encourage bone growth and help your gums reattach to the tooth.
We may also place a special membrane over the graft to prevent unwanted tissue from growing into the graft site.
The last step is to reposition the gum and close the grafting site.
Over the next several months, the bone will heal around the tooth.
Bone replacement has several benefits. It can:
- fill in areas of bone loss.
- stimulate new bone growth.
- stimulate soft tissue growth.
- significantly reduce gum pockets.
Replacing bone is an important step in preserving your healthy and beautiful smile.