Bone Grafting

Bone is a living, breathing, and growing tissue that responds to stress by generating new cells, as other, older cells are removed. When we lose our teeth the stress to the bone is removed and the bone gets thinner and smaller. This loss a bone volume after extraction frequently necessitates placement of a bone graft prior to dental implant.

There are many types of bone grafts available today. Bone can be taken from another site on the body and transferred to the deficient area. Bone substitute material can be placed into a defect or the maxillary sinus to stimulate the body to generate bone. Lastly, a new material called rhBMP is now available. The rhBMP stimulates the body's own bone precursor cells to generate new bone at the graft site.

A significant part of Dr. Whitesides' implant practice includes the grafting of bone in preparation for dental implant placement. Once the graft is placed you must typically wait 5 months before implant surgery. Although the 5 month wait will lengthen your treatment plan, waiting this amount of time is necessary to permit the graft and host bone to grow together.

The success of your treatment plan depends on many factors: the quantity and quality of bone, your overall health, and the skill of the surgeon and restorative dentist, just to name a few. Please call Dr. Whitesides' office today and schedule a consultation appointment to determine if you are a candidate for bone grafting or dental implants.