Latest Bone Grafting Procedures

Dr. Luke Denton has performed hundreds of sinus and bone graft procedures. Today Implant Dentistry no longer has to depend upon the patient having abundant and good quality bone in order to undergo implant treatment. Advancements in bone grafting procedures and techniques are now available which are more practical and predictable than previous methods. These bone grafting procedures make it possible for many patients to have dental implants when years ago there was no other option other than wearing loose dentures or a partial.

Why does bone loss occur? There are various reasons. The most common are bone loss resulting from periodontal disease and missing tooth root(s). When the gum tissue surrounding natural teeth is vital and healthy, bone cells will be maintained from stimulation created by the tooth roots. When gum tissue is infected with periodontal disease, new bone cells cannot form and; therefore, bone loss begins to occur. The more advanced the disease, the more bone loss and eventual failure and loss of the teeth involved. Other reasons for bone loss include accidents that knock teeth and bone out of the mouth, extraction of teeth as well as congenitally missing teeth. Bone loss can result in thin narrow gum ridges, decreased height and/or concave areas in the gum ridges and enlarged maxillary sinus cavities. (It is interesting to note that the bone which supports the teeth, known as alveolar bone, does not even form in the areas where teeth are missing at birth.) We have the ability to place the bone where it is needed. This gives us the opportunity to place implants of proper width; it also gives us a chance to restore functionality and aesthetic appearance. The bone we use is either synthetic bone or it is bone obtained from a tissue bank.

The maxillary sinus cavities are located on the right and left sides of the upper jaw just above the back teeth (molars and sometimes bicuspids). When tooth roots in this area are missing, more often than not, loss of bone will occur causing the sinus cavity to enlarge, decreasing the amount of bone height available for placement of root-form (in-the-bone) implants. This is, therefore, an area that must be evaluated during treatment planning to determine if “sinus bone grafting” will be required. This procedure involves a “sinus lift” along with the placement of bone grafting material. Many times sinus grafting can be performed and implants placed simultaneously. Other times, when bone loss is so severe that there is not enough bone to fixate the implants, sinus grafting is performed and the implants placed a few months later after bone has started to form. In either of these cases the implants will not be ready to receive teeth for 3 to 6 months during which the bone will grow and mature.

There are various “bone” products available that are used in bone grafting procedures. Some are synthetic or artificial, while others are of human source. Dr. Denton uses a combination of the graft materials which include human donor bone (no living cells), artificial bone and/or autogenous bone (patient’s own bone) which can sometimes be collected during surgery when the implant site(s) are drilled. These bone products stimulate regeneration of the patient’s own bone cells and is eventually replaced by the patient’s own bone cells. It is very important for the patient to know that the human bone product used in this office is obtained from an FDA approved tissue bank, does not contain living cells and therefore, CANNOT pass infectious diseases (AIDS or hepatitis) to the patient. These products have been used in the dental field for over 50 years with NO reported cases of resulting disease.