Has your dentist told you that you need bone grafting before you can get dental implants? Don’t worry, this procedure is often completed as part of dental implant treatment in Phoenix, AZ. Bone grafting is necessary when tooth loss has led to a loss of volume and density in your jawbone. While this is a natural process that occurs, it can mean you won’t qualify for dental implants unless this bone is replaced. Thankfully, this is a routine procedure that can sometimes be completed on the day of your implant placement.
Why Bone Loss Occurs
To understand why you may need bone grafting, it’s helpful to understand why jawbone loss occurs in the first place. Your oral structures all rely on each other to function properly and remain healthy. If one of those structures is lost—a tooth for example—the bone no longer receives the stimulation it needs to remain strong.
It will resorb and shrink away over time, leaving remaining teeth at risk of shifting out of place, becoming loose, or even falling out. This will only accelerate bone loss in other parts of your jaw and if enough teeth are lost, can result in the “sunken-in” look of someone with no teeth at all.
How Bone Grafting Restores Lost Bone
Bone grafting is a surgical procedure that has predictably high success rates when completed by an experienced dentist. It involves taking bone from another part of the body or a donor source and using it to rebuild the contours of the natural jaw ridge. This treatment can also be used to preserve the tooth socket after a tooth has been extracted or directly after one is lost.
Another type of bone grafting called a sinus lift helps to rebuild bone in the upper jaw directly beneath the sinus cavity. All these procedures are designed to restore volume and density to your existing bone so that it can safely support one or more dental implants.
Have Additional Questions?
If you want to learn more about your bone grafting procedure, Schedule your Consultation in our Dental Offices in Phoenix, AZ to learn more from our dentists.
