Bone Grafting
Restore Lost Jaw Bone
The jaw bone plays an integral role in the health of the mouth, providing the primary support structure for teeth. Bone relies on the movement (stimulation) of the teeth, when you bite and chew, to remain strong and healthy. When even one tooth is lost or extracted, the bone in the area of the missing tooth will begin to resorb, shrinking in both size and density. This poses a problem for both the existing adjacent teeth, as they can shift out of place and alter the bite, and a patient’s candidacy for tooth replacement options like dental implants.
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Even if you have severe bone loss due to several missing teeth, St. Johns Dental Care can help you qualify for dental implants through our comprehensive bone grafting services. As a dentist specializing in dental implants, Dr. Mark Connelly is trained in all related procedures, including bone grafting and ridge augmentation, and uses plasma rich growth factors to ensure the predictability of new jaw bone growth and your candidacy for implants.
What To Expect
Bone grafting involves placing a bone material, either taken from the patient or a donor source, at the site of recession that fuses to existing bone to form a solid, even foundation.
At St. Johns Dental Care, we use plasma rich growth factors (PRF) - a type of plasma rich protein taken from the patient’s own blood - in our bone grafting procedures. Plasma rich growth factors stimulate healing and regeneration of new bone and soft tissue at the treatment site. This is especially important for patients receiving dental implants once the area is fully healed.
Though our staff is trained in conservative techniques, bone grafting is a surgical procedure that can cause anxiety for some patients. Dr. Connelly is certified to administer IV sedation at St. Johns Dental Care, allowing patients to “sleep” through the procedure and have little-to-no memory of the experience once completed.
Utilizing these technologies and techniques give our patients an improved bone grafting experience, allowing them to enjoy a healthier mouth quickly.
Rebuilding an Uneven Jaw Line
When bone volume in the jaw has been lost, it can create an uneven gum line, unattractive smile, shifting of teeth, and limitations for dental implant placement. A dental procedure called a ridge augmentation can restore a receded gum line and preserve the jaw structure. When a tooth is extracted, an empty space in the jaw is left behind which can quickly deteriorate and affect the jaw ridge. At St. Johns Dental Care, we can perform a ridge augmentation to restore bone where the tooth once existed and prepare for dental implant replacement. In most cases, a ridge augmentation can be completed the same day as the tooth extraction in order to streamline the treatment process and shorten the time for the placement of dental implants.
