Jaw Bone Grafting in Washington DC & McLean VA

Why do I need jawbone grafting?

Over a period of time, the jawbone associated with missing teeth atrophies or is resorbed. This often leaves a condition in which there is poor quality and quantity of bone suitable for placement of dental implants. In these situations, most patients are not candidates for placement of dental implants.

Today, with Dr. Zach Saltman’s advanced surgical skills and protocols, he has the ability to grow new bone where needed. This not only gives you the opportunity to have dental implants of proper length and width to be able to last, it also gives you a chance to restore your mouth to an optimal function and aesthetic appearance.

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What is Sinus Lift Procedure?

The maxillary sinuses are located behind your cheekbones and on top of the upper teeth. Sinuses are like empty rooms that have nothing in them. Some of the roots of the natural upper teeth extend up into the maxillary sinuses. When these upper teeth are removed, there is often just a thin wall of bone separating the maxillary sinus and the mouth. Dental implants need bone to hold them in place. When the sinus wall is very thin, it is impossible to place dental implants in this bone.

Tooth loss affects more than just your smile—it can impact your (oral/overall) health, facial appearance, confidence, and daily quality of life. Leaving missing teeth untreated can lead to the following problems:

There is a solution and it’s called a sinus graft or sinus lift graft. This is a minimally invasive procedure performs by Dr. Zach Saltman, oral and maxillofacial surgeon. First he gently pill the gum from the underlying bone where upper molars were use to be. Then he open a very small window in the side of the jaw in that are so he can enter the sinus. There is a memorable inside of our sinus which like a tenet. The next step is Dr. Saltman will lift the sinus membrane upward to create an empty space to place the bone graft material.

He will insert bone graft between the lifted membrane and floor of the sinus. Keep in mind that the floor of the sinus is the roof of the upper jaw. After 4 months of healing, the bone becomes part of your jaw bone and dental implants can be inserted and stabilized in this new sinus bone.

The sinus graft makes it possible for many patients to have dental implants when years ago there was no other option other than wearing loose dentures.

If enough bone between the upper jaw ridge and the bottom of the sinus is available to stabilize the implant well, sinus augmentations and implant placement can sometimes be performed as a single procedure. If not enough bone is available, the sinus augmentation will have to be performed first, then the graft will have to mature for several months, depending upon the type of graft material used. Once the graft has matured, the implants can be placed.

I Am Having A Tooth Pulled. What Is A Socket Preservation Bone Graft

When you are facing a tooth extraction, there are many important things to consider. One is whether or not you plan to replace the extracted tooth in the future. If you do, and a dental implant is one of the treatment options, then our title question is an important one to ask. A bone graft to preserve the tooth socket may be necessary.

What is a Socket Preservation Bone Graft?

A socket preservation bone graft is a dental procedure that takes place at the same visit as the tooth extraction.  After Dr. Saltman, oral and maxillofacial surgeon, removes the tooth, he places bone graft material directly into the socket where the tooth’s roots were.  The bone graft material itself can come from a variety of sources.  Some products are completely synthetic while others contain mineralized part of human bone.  (There is no lice cell in these bone graft products, simply bony granules.)

The bone graft material looks like small white particles about the size of kosher salt.  It provides a matrix in the empty socket into which your natural bone can grow and heal.  The goal of this material is to promote your body’s bone to completely fill in the “holes” left by the tooth extraction.

What are the Advantages of a Socket Preservation Bone Graft?

The jawbone’s only purpose is to hold teeth.  When Dr. Saltman removes a tooth (hyper link to tooth extraction procedure), the bone naturally shrinks in both width and height.  This shrinkage could prevent you from being able to replace the missing tooth with a dental implant in the future.  A socket preservation bone graft slows down the shrinkage process and preserves the natural width and height of jawbone in the site where the tooth was pulled.

A socket preservation graft is a simple procedure completed immediately after the tooth extraction.  Unlike other types of bone grafts, no additional surgical procedure is necessary.  Dr. Saltman simply places the material into the socket, covers it with a collagen plug or membrane, and places stitches to hold everything in place while it heals.  Because it is part of the extraction appointment, you are already numb, and very little additional time in the chair is necessary.

Because of the ease of placement immediately after the extraction, socket preservation bone grafts are also less expensive than other types of bone grafts that are necessary to replace bone that was lost.  Preserving is always easier and less expensive than rebuilding!

If I Do Not Have the Bone Graft, Can I Still Have a Dental Implant in the Future?

Great question!

Unfortunately, we cannot predict how much any individual’s jawbone will shrink, and how quickly that shrinkage will occur.  We can say that we have seen both rapid bone loss following an extraction and missing tooth sites with plenty of healthy bone despite having the tooth removed decades prior.  In general, we see more bone loss on the upper jaw than the lower, and faster bone loss in our older patients than in the younger ones.

Simply you can schedule a consultation appointment with Dr. Saltman, oral and maxillofacial surgeon, by calling our office at 202-331-4110. After examining your mouth and reviewing your 3 diminutional x-ray (3D CBCT X-ray) , Dr. Saltman can make an educated guess regarding your unique situation Again, we cannot promise anything because it is something that is impossible to predict.