The last in our series of dental implant questions asked and answered:
What is bone grafting and why is it associated with dental implants?
Successful placement of implants depends on a sufficient quantity and quality of bone in the jaw and not all patients have the requisite amount of bone needed for successful implantation. At first, dentists believed that in areas where there was insufficient bone, it was impossible to place dental implants.
With great advancements in medical and dental technology however, procedures have been developed to increase the amount of bone available in the jaw by use of bone belonging to the patient (endogenous bone), by use of a range of artificial substitutes, or by a substitute of both.
Most grafting techniques are simple and can be performed at the same time as implant placement. For some patients who have a significant lack of bone, more complex procedure may be required in order to create enough bone volume for successful implantation. In these cases, grafting procedures may need to occur as far as six months in advance of implantation.
What materials are available to replace bone?
In many cases, the patients’ own bone is used. Bone is often taken from areas close to the implant site, or from the chin or the back of the lower jaw. In severe cases, bone may need to be taken from outside the mouth.
In other cases, artificial bone substitutes are used—more are being developed day by day. One of the most commonly used substitutes is a material derived from cow bone. It is processed in order to remove all organic materials before use.
Purely man made substitutes are also used in some cases, but most of these materials are in the early stages of development, therefore can be unpredictable when it comes to implant success.
Regardless of the type of material used, the grafting is used as a means to provide scaffolding in the treated area, which your body works to dissolve and replace with new bone.
Is dental implantation expensive?
The treatment ranges in invasiveness, and depending on the type of implant, costs can become fairly large. However, dental implants are well known for being safe, long-lasting solutions for broken, damaged, decaying and missing teeth. The quality of life of any patient’s oral health dramatically improves after implantation. People across the globe have benefited greatly from this procedure and it only continues to grow in popularity.
Still have unanswered questions? Find a certified, reputable dental implant dentist in your area and see if this treatment is right for you.
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