A bone graft may sound like a scary procedure, but it’s not. Dr. Lee Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Dental Implant Center in Plano often performs bone grafts to give patients just like you the added bone mass needed to support dental implants.
Backed by a top team, Dr. Fitzgerald uses high-tech tools, soothing sedation, and finely honed skills to make bone grafts comfortable. If you’ve been told that you’re not a candidate for dental implants because of diminished jawbone structure, a bone graft can put you on the path to a pleasing new smile.
Why does the jawbone diminish?
The chewing forces of natural teeth keep jawbone mass at a healthy level. When teeth are missing, the jawbone is no longer stimulated in those areas. Gum tissue starts to shrink and jawbone mass declines.
What happens when the jawbone loses density?
As jawbone is lost, the area of the face from the nose to the chin seems to move closer and closer together. That’s why the faces of people with several missing seem to shrink in on themselves.
Denture wearer experience slippage because there’s the original jawbone structure for which the denture was created is no longer the same size.
Additionally, there’s no longer enough solid bone structure to successfully secure and bond with dental implants.
How does a bone graft work?
After a diagnostic assessment of your jawbone loss, Dr. Fitzgerald will surgically place new bone in the areas of diminishment. Three types of bone grafts are available:
- Your own bone tissue
- Donor bone
- Synthetic bone substitute
Your bone graft will be performed while you experience total relaxation through the use of sedation. Dr. Fitzgerald may use your own platelet-rich plasma to speed healing at the graft sites.
Will I receive my implants at the same time as my bone graft?
Oftentimes, Dr. Fitzgerald places the dental implant posts in conjunction with the bone grafts. If the area grafted is large, healing will need to occur prior to implant placement.
Call Fitzgerald Dental Implant Center in Plano/North Dallas today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Fitzgerald and discover full-service implant dentistry for a great smile.