Major and Minor bone grafting

Today, we have the ability   to grow bone where needed. This not only gives us the opportunity to   place implants of proper length and width, it also gives us a chance to   restore functionality and esthetic appearance.

Major Bone Grafting

Bone   grafting can repair implant sites with inadequate bone structure due to   previous extractions, gum disease or injuries. The bone is either   obtained from a tissue bank or your own bone is taken from the jaw, hip   or tibia (below the knee.) Sinus bone grafts are also performed to   replace bone in the posterior upper jaw. In addition, special membranes   may be utilized that dissolve under the gum and protect the bone graft   and encourage bone regeneration. This is called guided bone   regeneration or guided tissue regeneration.

Major   bone grafts are typically performed to repair defects of the jaws.   These defects may arise as a result of traumatic injuries, tumor   surgery, or congenital defects. Large defects are repaired using the   patient’s own bone. This bone is harvested from a number of different   sites depending on the size of he defect. The skull (cranium), hip   (iliac crest), and lateral knee (tibia), are common donor sites. These   procedures are routinely performed in an operating room and require a   hospital stay.

Ridge Expansion

In   severe cases, the ridge has been reabsorbed and a bone graft is placed   to increase ridge height and/or width. This is a technique used to   restore the lost bone dimension when the jaw ridge gets too thin to   place conventional implants. In this procedure, the bony ridge of the   jaw is literally expanded by mechanical means. Bone graft material can   be placed and matured for a few months before placing the implant.