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Restoring Bone and Facial Structure

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Tooth loss and advanced gum disease can result in diminished jawbone volume and structure. In addition to being a potentially serious dental health problem and a condition that may limit candidacy for dental implants, jawbone loss can even affect the appearance of your face. At Restorative and Implant Dentistry of Bayside, our implant dentists andprosthodontists, Sameet Sheth, DDS, FACP and Arpita Patel, DDS, offer a variety of specialized procedures designed to restore bone and facial structure. Bone grafting and bone regeneration options allow our prosthodontists to reconstruct areas of the jawbone to support dental implants and improve dental health. In some cases, our doctors incorporate the use of maxillofacial prosthetic devices to repair congenital and acquired defects of the mouth and jaw. 

If you are interested in learning more about the process of restoring bone and facial structure, please explore the information provided below. For a consultation with our prosthodontist, we invite you to contact our office.

What Is Bone Grafting?

Dental bone grafting is a surgical procedure designed to enhance and augment jawbone density. This can be particularly beneficial for patients who are considering dental implant restoration but do not have enough bone mass in the treatment area to adequately support a dental implant. Bone grafting is often called a “pre-prosthetic” treatment since it is frequently performed for patients who need additional bone density in preparation for a dental implant procedure. A small piece of bone can be taken from another area of the patient’s mouth or body, or a synthetic option or other alternative can be used in some cases. This bone graft is then carefully attached to the jawbone, where it should integrate with the bone over the next several months. Once it is determined that the bone graft has sufficiently integrated with the surrounding bone structure, a dental implant can then be placed.

Will I Need Bone Grafting?

The best way to determine whether you will need bone grafting is to have your oral structures evaluated. Not all patients will require bone grafting before a dental implant procedure. In fact, many individuals have sufficient bone density in areas of missing teeth to accommodate an implant, making them good candidates from the beginning. With that in mind, those who may have been told they were not ideal dental implant candidates in the past due to insufficient bone density now have options such as bone grafting that can often make dental implant procedures possible for them. Patients who may require bone grafting typically include those who have experienced bone resorption and deterioration in the jaw after tooth loss/extraction, periodontal disease, injury or trauma, or other conditions. Once your oral health is examined during the initial consultation, our prosthodontist can decide whether bone grafting will be necessary for your ultimate treatment goals.

Some of the most common types of bone grafting are listed below. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our practice for additional information.

Ridge Expansion

In severe cases of jawbone loss, the bony ridge required to support a dental implant may be reabsorbed by the body. To rebuild the height and/or width of the ridge, a bone graft procedure called a ridge expansion can be performed. During this procedure, bone graft material is added to the jawbone and allowed to heal. Once properly healed, it may be possible to place dental implants in the restored bone structure.

Sinus Augmentation

Sinus augmentation is a bone grafting procedure that can rebuild portions of the upper jawbone that have diminished as a result of tooth loss or gum disease. Our prosthodontist accesses the upper jawbone through the sinus cavity and places bone grafts in atrophied areas to create a more substantial support for the placement of dental implants.

Guided Bone Regeneration

Guided bone regeneration, or GBR, is a procedure that increases bone volume in areas of depleted jawbone mass to create a foundation for dental implants. During the procedure, Our prosthodontist creates a space scaffolded with bone grafting material along the surface of existing bone, which is designed to foster growth and regeneration of new bone tissue. Once the necessary amount of density has been achieved and the area has properly healed, dental implants can be placed.

Socket Grafting

For patients who need a tooth extraction, socket grafting may be recommended as an additional treatment. Also known as “socket preservation,” socket grafting can be a very important option for patients who may eventually want to replace the missing tooth with a dental implant. When a tooth is lost or extracted, bone density around the empty socket it leaves behind can quickly degrade. This deterioration can make it less likely that the area will be able to accommodate a dental implant in the future, and it can even affect the health of adjacent teeth. Socket grafting at the time of extraction can serve to help prevent excessive bone deterioration in the area of the missing tooth, ultimately making it better-able to successfully support a dental implant later in life without requiring an additional bone grafting procedure at that time.

Maxillofacial Prosthetics

Our doctor uses maxillofacial prosthetic devices to repair congenital and acquired defects involving the mouth and jaw. Prosthetic devices can be used to:

If you are interested in learning more about the care Dr. Sheth and Dr. Patel provide using maxillofacial prosthetics, bone grafting, and other restorative options, please contact our office.