15 Mar Is bone grafting required to get dental implants?
Dental implants are the optimal solution for tooth loss because they are the only structurally complete tooth replacement consisting of both a root-like structure and a crown. However, in order to take advantage of this treatment option, patients need to have sufficient bone tissue.
When a patient is lacking bone tissue, which can happen for different reasons, bone grafting can help overcome this potential barrier to dental implant placement. After evaluating your case, an oral surgeon can determine whether bone grafting will be beneficial for you.
The Importance of Bone Tissue in Dental Implant Placement
With proper care and maintenance, dental implants can be a permanent tooth replacement. This is possible because the bone tissue at the dental implant site osseointegrates, or bonds with, the dental implant’s titanium surface.
Dental implants are the optimal solution for tooth loss because they are the only structurally complete tooth replacement consisting of both a root-like structure and a crown.
After osseointegration is complete, the dental implant becomes a fixture in the jaw. However, a lack of bone tissue can prevent successful osseointegration. This can occur when the patient has experienced:
- Jawbone resorption: Bone loss following tooth loss
- Congenital defects: Bone deficits that have been present since birth or occurred during the jaw’s development
- Injury: Trauma that resulted in loss of bone tissue
When such circumstances are present, bone grafting, in which bone tissue from a donor source is inserted at the proposed implant site, may be needed to supplement the available bone tissue prior to dental implant placement.
How We Determine if Bone Grafting is Needed for Dental Implants
Your oral surgeon will use three-dimensional imaging to thoroughly evaluate the proposed implant site to assess the quality of bone tissue. If it appears that you have insufficient bone tissue to support osseointegration, a preliminary bone graft will be recommended.
Bone grafting must be completed several months prior to dental implant placement in order to give the jaw enough time to incorporate the supplemental bone tissue. While this does extend the overall treatment timeline, it also greatly improves the patient’s chances of long-term dental implant success.
If you are considering dental implants as a solution for tooth loss, schedule a consultation at our office to learn if bone grafting might help you to get a better result from that treatment.