When it comes to qualifying for dental implants at Craig S. Donn, DDS, there are a few prerequisites. Two of these requirements are having enough bone or gum support for the dental implant to be embedded. While factors such as tooth decay and jaw depletion factor into this loss, there are two supplemental procedures that can be tacked onto your dental implant procedure to help create a better foundation for your dental implants.
What are These Procedures for?
It’s vital that the dental implant be embedded strongly in the jawbone in order to succeed. While osseointegration can contribute to the success, there still needs to be sufficient bone to get the process started. Without bone or gum support, the process of osseointegration could fail, leaving the dental implant loose and prone to falling out.
While bone support is needed for embedding, the gums are needed to cure the gum recession in patients. Receded gums will not be sufficient enough to hold the implant in place, and could expose the titanium pieces of the dental implant.
What are Bone Grafts?
A bone graft begins with identifying the area where jawbone is depleted. Depending on the size of the area, it could be possible for the bone graft to occur at the same time as the initial stages of the dental implants surgery.
The next step is to remove a sample of bone from another part of the patient’s body where there is ample bone, such as the hip or shine bone of the patient. If you are uncomfortable utilizing your own bone for the procedure, substitute bone can be used instead – from compatible animal bone, donated bone, or artificially grown bone. This bone is then applied to the jawbone where there is depletion and left to heal (or left to prepare for the first piece of the dental implant).
What is a Soft Tissue Augmentation?
A soft tissue augmentation, also known as a gum graft, is very similar to the procedure for a bone graft. Instead of harvested bone, a piece of tissue is removed from the roof of the patient’s mouth and is surgically applied to the receded gum area. The true gums are then sewn back over the new tissue and left to bond in place. This ensures that there is ample gum tissue to support the dental implant once it’s been placed. Again, if the patient is uncomfortable with using their own tissue, there are artificial tissues available.
Contact Us About Your Bone and Gum Support
If you’re looking into dental implants, but are told that your bone and gum support may be lacking, don’t worry! At Craig S. Donn, we offer bone and gum grafts as optional supplemental procedures in order to give your dental implants the best start towards a better oral health. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Donn. During the consultation Dr. Donn will answer your questions, evaluate your oral health, and overall help guide you down the best path of treatment for you and your smile.