2500 W William Cannon Drive, Suite 103 | Austin, TX 78745

(512) 912-9750

 

Bone and Sinus Grafting

An important consideration in implant therapy is how much bone remains in the jaw bone after a tooth is lost. Implants require good bone all the way around in order to be healthy for a long time and provide adequate function and esthetics.

Sometimes, patients may present with situations where there is insufficient bone for a dental implant to be completely surrounded by bone when it is placed. Common causes of bone loss may include long-term tooth loss (the jaw bone naturally shrinks if there is no tooth), the presence of a large infection, severe gum disease, or trauma.

Should we determine that you will need bone grafting in preparation for dental implant therapy, be assured that we offer the latest technologies and least invasive bone grafting procedures and techniques:

Minimally Invasive Techniques

In the past, large bone defects had to be treated by acquiring a large piece of bone from another part of the patient’s mouth, or sometimes, even from other parts of the body like the hip! This created a second site and increased discomfort to patients. By using minimally-invasive modern bone grafting techniques, we can achieve the same level of success with no need for a second wound in the mouth.

Growth Factors

When large bone defects need to be treated, we utilize an array of biomaterials and growth factors designed specifically for growing bone. These include naturally occurring bone-growing proteins, special gels which contains a variety of healing proteins, and even healing cells extracted from the patient’s own blood. These growth factors allow the body to effectively grow more bone and speed up healing.

Sinus Grafting

Maxillary sinuses are large air spaces found in the cheek bones and can extend down to near the roots of the upper molars and premolars. Sometimes, early tooth loss or severe, chronic gum disease can decrease the amount of bone left between the jaw and sinus. Luckily, sinus grafting, or sinus “lifting,” is a predictable procedure that can increase the bone volume in the area. Sinus lifting involves moving the floor of sinus upwards to create a space to add bone. Sinus lifting may need to be done first, but often it can be combined efficiently and predictably at the time of implant placement.

Reduced Number of Procedures

With the latest techniques and technologies, we are often able to combine bone grafting conveniently and efficiently with other procedures such as when taking a tooth out or at the same time as the implant is placed. This is possible due to the technology and materials at our disposal.

Sinus Lift – Lateral