Jaw bone quality for implant placement
Tooth extraction usually causes bone shrinkage at the site of extraction. In addition, the longer the time that has lapsed since extraction, the more bone shrinkage occurs. This can leave us with insufficient bone volume for implant placement.
Bone grafts are used to increase the bone volume and prepare the site for receiving dental implants. Implants can then be placed either at the same time as the grafting or at a later date, depending on the current bone volume and the amount of grafting required.
There are different types of bone grafts that can be used. Some of them can be taken from other sites within the same patient. Others are sourced from cadavers or bovine (taken from cows). All the bone grafts we use are Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved and are extremely safe for dental use.
The Periodontists specialise in all kinds of dental and gum-based surgeries
Improving the jaw bone quality before implant placement
If the tooth that requires extraction has not been removed yet, we sometimes prefer to place a bone graft in the extraction site immediately after the tooth is removed. This procedure is called “alveolar ridge preservation” or “socket preservation.” It aims to preserve as much of the existing bone as possible and reduce the potential for bone loss after the extraction, allowing for better implant positioning during placement.
If the tooth has already been extracted and there is not enough bone for implant placement, the bone must be rebuilt either prior to or during the implant placement procedure. This bone grafting procedure is called “guided bone regeneration” or “GBR.”
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Does gum maintenance hurt?
Periodontal maintenance isn’t usually painful. Some patients may experience mild discomfort during the cleaning process. Your dental hygienist can use numbing agents or adjust the cleaning technique to make you are more comfortable.
How often do I need periodontal maintenance?
Periodontal maintenance appointment frequency is different from one to one and depends on many factors, including your susceptibility to gum disease (periodontal disease), risk factors for gum disease progression, like smoking and diabetes, and your ability to perform good oral hygiene at home. The frequency of Periodontal maintenance appointments can vary between being provided every 3 months to being provided every 9 months, depending on the above-mentioned factors. At these appointments the gum health will be carefully checked to ensure that everything is ok and plaque and calculus that is difficult to remove daily at home will be removed from above and below the gum line.
Will I ever have healthy gums again?
Gum disease is incurable but manageable with the appropriate treatment. In concept, it is very similar to people who have high blood pressure or diabetes, where they have to take the medications regularly to stay on top of their health problem. With gum disease, we don’t have medications to control it, hence, regular periodontal maintenance is crucial to keep the gums as healthy as possible and prevent further periodontal disease progression.
Can I perform periodontal maintenance at home?
Daily home care, including good oral hygiene and some lifestyle changes, is crucial to keeping your gums healthy after periodontal treatment. These oral hygiene habits aim to disrupt the bacteria, allowing the gums to stay healthy around the teeth. Proper brushing and flossing should be part of these habits. However, some plaque and tartar (calculus) will always reform, and they are difficult to remove. Therefore, regular periodontal maintenance visits are essential to keep your gums healthy in the long term.
Is periodontal maintenance worth it?
In short yes. Periodontal maintenance aims at keeping the gum tissues healthy and prevents the progression of gum disease. By undergoing regular periodontal maintenance, you are keeping your gums and teeth in a very healthy shape and reducing the risk of gum disease progression. Untreated periodontal disease is one of the leading causes of tooth loss in adults.
Before and After
Improving Bone Volume Prior to Dental Implant Placement
