For patients who are missing one or more teeth and wish to create a more natural-looking smile, dental implants can be a wonderful cosmetic option. To achieve this look, implant posts are placed directly into the jawbone, where crowns are then attached to the top of the posts to create an artificial, functional replacement tooth.
Often, however, jawbone in areas with missing teeth shrinks and deteriorates over time. To give our patients the best chance of success with implant placement, the bone into which the implant is placed needs to be as thick and dense as possible. A common method for building up bone in the jaw in preparation for implant placement is a procedure referred to as bone grafting.
What Is Bone Grafting?
Generally speaking, bone grafting is the process by which a natural or synthetic piece of bone is taken from an outside source and placed in a specific area of the body. This transplanted piece of bone allows for portions of new bone to attach and grow from the transplanted bone.
How Does Bone Grafting Help Dental Patients?
Bone grafting in dentistry is typically used to help strengthen future implant sites that have suffered from bone loss. In dental bone grafting, replacement bone can be taken from another area of the body, such as the hip, and left in a specific portion of the jaw where it will later host one or more implants. Through this process, dental bone grafting rebuilds weak, compromised jawbone.
Bone grafting is a relatively common procedure required for many of our patients’ treatment. Dr. Har Simran K. Virdee performs dental bone grafting right here in our Monroe Township, NJ office. If you are curious whether dental bone grafting may be a good fit for your restorative needs, our office can schedule a consultation. Send us an email or call us today at (609) 662-4406!
