Bone Grafting

The roots of your teeth hold your teeth in place and stimulate the bone beneath the gums. When teeth are missing, there is nothing beneath the gums to preserve the bone. This lack of stimulation can lead to bone loss (also called resorption) in and around the jaw. Bone grafting treatment also makes it possible for more patients to qualify for dental implants, as there must be sufficient jaw bone in order to support the replacement teeth. 

Dr. Wood, Dr. Coles, Dr. Saghafi, and Dr. Holbrook offer a variety of bone grafting procedures to restore lost facial bone. Contact Arizona Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons in Tucson and Oro Valley, AZ, to learn more about bone grafting and to explore your oral surgery treatment options. 

How Does Bone Grafting Work?

Without adequate quality or quantity of bone tissue, it is impossible to place dental implants safely and securely. Additionally, bone loss can lead to dental shifting, changes in your facial structure, and other problems. Bone grafting is meant to restore bone that has deteriorated or been removed because of tooth loss, facial injuries, tumor surgery, or other causes. 

A bone graft works by your surgeon inserting the grafting material where more bone is needed. Thanks to your body’s natural healing process, new bone will heal around the graft, resulting in new, sturdy bone. Our surgeons have years of experience performing a variety of bone grafting procedures to suit many different oral health needs. 

Types of Bone Grafting

All bone grafting procedures share the same basic concept: a solution of granulated bone material, growth factors, and other healing agents is applied to areas that lack the right amount or quality of bone. The bone material is sourced from another part of your own body or a tissue bank, depending on the procedure. Oral surgeons usually perform bone grafting procedures in areas around the jaws and teeth, such as the alveolar ridge, sinuses, and tooth sockets.

During your consultation, we will determine the right type of bone grafting treatment for your needs. We will take 3D scans of your mouth and face to assess your facial and jaw bone structure. Prior to any procedure, your surgeon will help you select the right type of anesthesia or sedation for your comfort. 

Sinus Lift

A sinus lift is a bone grafting procedure that adds bone above the upper molars. The sinuses are above the upper molars and behind the front of your cheeks. If you need dental implants to replace upper molars, sometimes the wall dividing the sinus from the oral cavity is too thin. Adding bone above the molars by lifting the sinus ensures that your implants can be placed safely and securely.

Socket Preservation

Socket preservation grafts are used to combat bone loss around an empty tooth socket. When a tooth is lost or extracted, the bone surrounding the tooth can start to recede or resorb rapidly. To prevent this, oral surgeons can place a bone graft directly into the empty tooth socket to preserve facial structure and prepare for dental implant placement later on.

Ridge Augmentation

Ridge augmentation is more common when multiple teeth have been missing for an extended period. Without stimulation from the teeth, the bony ridge that holds your teeth in place can become too thin, or parts of the ridge can deteriorate. Ridge augmentation can rebuild the height and width of the ridge to make space for dental implants.

Major Bone Grafting

Major bone grafting procedures are sometimes necessary to repair injuries, facial defects, or tumor surgery sites. Bone from your own hip or another part of the body will be used for major procedures. These procedures involve more extensive techniques, such as guided bone and tissue generation. Major procedures often require an overnight stay in a hospital or care facility.

Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP)

The team at Arizona Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons strives to use the most advanced tools available when planning and executing your treatment. When patients need bone grafting or bone augmentation procedures, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) can promote bone growth and healing. Using BMP can drastically decrease healing time and improve bone growth in the area of surgery.

How Bone Morphogenetic Protein Works

Bone morphogenetic protein works because it mimics the exact structure of the molecules that support bone growth in your body. Our staff works hard to find the safest and most effective treatment methods for our patients, and BMP is an excellent way to help promote bone healing and growth after surgery. The benefits of BMP use in oral surgery include: 

• Speed up the recovery process
• No risk of rejection because your body’s own healing agents are used
• Eliminate the need to harvest bone from a second surgical site

BMP is used in bone grafting procedures, jaw surgeries, and most other bone augmentation procedures. The BMP substance is mixed with water and soaked into a sponge-like collagen material. This material is placed over the area of bone that requires extra growth. Over the next few weeks and months, your natural bone will grow into the area the BMP was placed. This new bone can be used as a secure foundation for a dental implant, to secure an area where jaw surgery was performed, or to prevent bone loss after a dental extraction.