As a facial surgeon in Lee's Summit, Dr. Prstojevich performs bone grafting procedures after patients lose jawbone density. This is often necessary when a patient wishes to replace missing teeth with dental implants but does not have the necessary bone density to do so.
Other than birth defects or genetic issues, a loss of bone density is often due to gum disease or tooth loss. When a tooth falls out, the jawbone no longer receives daily stimulation in that area. Each tooth stimulates the jaw, signaling to the body that the teeth are doing their job. Without that stimulation, the body responds by leaching calcium and uses it elsewhere in the body. We can help prevent this problem by preventing tooth loss or replacing missing teeth. However, once the tooth loss occurs, it is wise to visit a health professional as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the bone loss can become severe enough to warrant a bone grafting procedure.
Patients in need of dental implants must have the necessary bone density to support those implants. When the bone density does not naturally exist, a bone grafting procedure can grow new bone and prepare the jaw to receive the implant. We complete this procedure in our office by a facial surgeon in Lee's Summit.
Bone grafting helps the body build or create additional bone. To begin, we will surgically add natural bone or synthetic bone to the jawbone. When patients elect to use their own bone, we will most likely take samples of bone from the chin, jaw, hip or shin. It takes a few months for the body to complete the process of fusing this new bone with the existing jawbone. Some patients do not like the idea of extracting bone from their body and, fortunately, this is not necessary.
Synthetic bone does an excellent job and can make the process faster by eliminating the need to extract bone from elsewhere in the body. There is more than one way to complete the procedure. We will determine the most effective method after conducting a thorough examination and taking X-rays.
The new bone must completely fuse with the jawbone before dental we can place the implants. This process can take as little as four months or up to nine months. Once complete, the jaw will be ready to receive the implant. We will surgically insert a small titanium post under the gums and into the jawbone. Titanium is a material that the body responds to like natural matter. As a result, it will begin to place bone around the titanium post until the process of osseointegration takes place. This creates what is essentially a new root system for the tooth to attach to.
After a few months, we will secure a new tooth that has been crafted specifically for your smile to an abutment that attaches to the implant. The result will be a durable and natural-looking tooth that behaves exactly like your other ones.
While the process of receiving a bone graft and dental implant can take up to a year, the results are entirely worth it because once placed, the new tooth will remain secure and behave like a natural tooth would for years to come. To learn more about the process, call our office to speak with a facial surgeon in Lee's Summit.
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