Bone is vital in the success of an implant; whenever a tooth is lost or extracted, a considerable amount of the bone that once surrounded the root portion may disappear. The rate and volume of bone lost varies from person to person but the most rapid amount of loss usually takes place in the first few months following the extraction. This is described as ‘bone resorption’.
Don’t worry if you haven’t got enough of it or it is poor quality bone; at Gentle Dental Care we have the answers. We will use our diagnostic x-rays and 3D scan to determine if a bone graft is required. We are able to offer Onlay grafting or placement of synthetic material and tissue regeneration procedures to enable treatment with dental implants.
The synthetic bone procedure is the placement of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), a material that stimulates certain body cells to turn into bone without grafting.
Onlay grafting is the use of your own bone, usually taken from the Ramus of the Mandible (lower jaw) or the chin (Mental area) although you can also take bone tissue from the hip and the tibia (shin bone). Once the synthetic bone, your own bone or a combination of the two has been placed in the region of need it is left to heal and osseointergrate. Once the bone has fused then you can go back and place the implant(s).
The synthetic bone placement is shown below:
Onlay Bone grafting, donor sites shown below:
Onlay bone grafting, the recipient area shown below:
