Bone Grafting Brownstown, MI

Minor Bone Grafting

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 but more importantly limited quantity of bone available for placement of dental implants. In these situations, patients are not candidates for placement of dental implants until that area is augmented with additional bone 

Today, we have the ability to grow bone where needed by obtaining bone from a reputable bone bank.   Once it is placed in the affected area, we let the site heal for 4-5 months.  Normal function and eating softer foods is expected a few hours after surgery.  We use dissolvable sutures and medicated mouth rinse is prescribed to keep the incisions clean. 

Second stage surgery to place the implant now,  is almost always much simplified since the bulk of the work has already been performed via the grafting. 

Major Bone Grafting

Bone grafting can repair implant sites with inadequate bone structure due to previous extractions, gum disease or traumatic injuries. The bone is either obtained from a tissue bank or your own bone is taken from the jaw, hip or tibia (below the knee). Sinus bone grafts are also performed to replace bone in the posterior upper jaw. In addition, special membranes may be utilized that dissolve under the gum and protect the bone graft and encourage bone regeneration. This is called guided bone regeneration or guided tissue regeneration.

Major bone grafts are typically performed to repair defects of the jaws. These defects may arise as a result of traumatic injuries, tumor surgery, or congenital defects. Large defects are repaired using the patient’s own bone. This bone is harvested from a number of different sites depending on the size of the defect. The skull (cranium), hip (iliac crest), and lateral knee (tibia), are common donor sites. These procedures are routinely performed in an operating room and require a hospital stay.