Why is Bone Grafting needed?
With time, places in the mouth that lack teeth will cause the jawbone to shrink or resorb. This shrinking of the bone limits the restorative options for the tooth, and can cause the facial tissues to collapse. Most patients that have long-term toothless sites are not good candidates to restore with dental implants. Additionally, on the front teeth, proper contour to bone and gums is essential, because that surface is displayed during smiling. In these cases, bone grafting may provide a good solution.
The Different Types of Bone Grafting
Bone grafting is a very predictable technique that allows for a bony contour to be added where needed. For minor bone defects, several types of donor graft materials and synthetic membranes are conventionally used.
In addition to these tools, Minnesota Dental Surgery also offers platelet rich fibrin (PRF), which is an isolate purified from the patient’s own blood. The PRF mixture contains the patient’s scaffolding, stem cells, and healing factors, which have been shown to increase the speed of healing when used alone, or in conjunction with other grafting materials. These techniques give us the ability to place implants to the proper dimensions, as well as the ideal functional and esthetic location.
The best time to graft a future restorative site is often at the time of tooth removal. This practice allows the extraction site to maintain its contour more effectively for a future implant, or tooth supported bridge restoration.