Dental implant is a new tooth made of titanium and porcelain that looks just like your natural tooth. Your implant is composed of two parts that mimic a tooth’s root and crown. The implant’s “root” is a cylindrical titanium metal post surgically placed into the jaw bone to act as a root. Once the titanium post is in place, it often takes a few months for jawbone to firmly attach to the implant. After the jawbone has fused to the implant (osseointegration), an abutment is tighten onto the titanium post where the porcelain crown is attached to replace the top part of your tooth.

Implants may also be used to anchor dentures, especially lower dentures that tend to shift when you talk or chew. Plus, for patients with removable partial dentures, implants can replace missing teeth so that you have a more natural-looking smile.

The key to implant success is the quantity and quality of the bone where the implant is to be placed.

The bone graft material is used to increase the volume of bone for placement of implants. Although very infrequent, it is possible that the grafting material may still be insufficient for the placement of implants. The processed bone graft material comes in various forms. One form of this graft is processed cadaver bone. Another material is a graft that combines the major mineral components of natural bone. This processed graft comes from cows and is a commonly used material.

Bio-Oss is a safe, effective bone grafting material from specially processed bovine sources. This material is very similar to human bone. It replaces missing bone and helps your body support new bone growth. This new bone will begin to form within the first few weeks and strengthens the grafted area by forming a bridge between your existing bone and the graft. Over time, the newly formed bone will replace much of the grafted material.

BONE GRAFTING PROCEDURES

Guided Bone Regeneration (GBR) – A procedure in which a membrane is placed over the bone graft site. Bio-Gide is a thin resorbable GBR membrane made from natural fiber material, collagen. This membrane further encourages new bone to grow and also prevents the growth of scar tissue in the grafted site. It lasts at least 4 months, the time required for new bone formation.

GBR optimize bone formation around implant.

Ridge Modification – Inadequate bone in the upper and/or lower jaw can cause problems in implant placement and its overall success. Bone grafting material is used to reconstruct bone deficiencies and build up the ridge. The bone will be allowed to develop for about 4-12 months before implants can be placed. In some cases, the implant can be placed at the same time the ridge is modified.

Sinus Augmentation – Rehabilitation of the upper back jaw has been one of the most difficult areas to successfully place dental implants due to insufficient bone volume resulting from enlarge sinus and bone resorption. Implant must be anchored in bone for stability. A sinus lift approach can be taken through the hole drilled into the jaw bone – osteotome technique. Bone grafting material is placed into the sinus space through the implant osteotomy. The implant is then placed immediately into the sinus cavity following sinus elevation. In some cases, several months (approximately 4-12 months) are required to achieve the quantity and density needed before the implant is placed.