Dental Bone Graft in Astoria, Queens

Your jawbone may not be robust or firm enough to sustain dental implants. Drs. Alexander Bokser and Irene Bokser use cutting-edge bone grafting techniques to stimulate bone development and build a solid, stable foundation for dental implants. An experienced oral surgeon and expert periodontist at Precision Dental in Astoria & Bayside, Queens, NY repair implant sites with insufficient bone structure, whether caused by extractions, gum disease, or trauma, helping to rebuild the foundation of your smile.

What Is a Bone Graft?

When you visit a dental implant dentist for treatment, they want to ensure the procedure is successful and review several factors, including your jawbone health. They assess the quality and quantity of the bone available for dental implants. Inadequate bone for dental implant placement is not uncommon, so your implant dentist may recommend an oral surgery called a bone graft.

Why Would I Need a Bone Graft?

Teeth that are strong and healthy are securely fixed in the jawbone. When you bite or chew food, the sensations go through the tooth, into the tooth roots, and out through the jawbone. The stimulation aids in keeping the jawbone healthy. When you lose a tooth, the entire tooth, including the root, is missing. The bone that once surrounded the missing tooth root is no longer stimulated and eventually resorbs, making it no longer suitable for dental implants. Jawbone deterioration can also occur due to advanced gum disease or oral injury.

A bone graft will restore the missing bone, building up the missing height or width in the bony arch so we can place your dental implants successfully.

Which Materials are Used During Bone Grafting?

Various materials can be used during bone grafting, including:

• A graft taken from another site in your body
• The donor’s bone
• An artificial bone

Your implant dentists may also use a specialized technique to extract plasma from your blood, which contains growth factors that help a bone graft heal more easily. It is an extremely good technique, and because it is your own blood, it is entirely safe. When you visit your dental implant practice, your implant dentist can discuss all options with you, helping you make an informed choice.

Are There Different Types of Bone Grafts?

Different types of bone grafts are available, depending on where the bone is deficient in the mouth and the restoration chosen to restore your missing teeth.

Different types of bone grafts include:

• Socket preservation. Socket preservation is used to preserve the empty tooth socket immediately after the tooth is removed. Once your implant dentist extracts a failing tooth, they can immediately pack the socket with bone grafting material, which helps preserve its shape, strength, and structure so that once the bone graft has healed, it is ready for a dental implant.
• Ridge augmentation. Sometimes, the bony ridge that originally supported your teeth is too narrow or lacks the sufficient height to support a dental implant successfully. In this case, your dentist can carry out a sophisticated bone graft to help increase the width and height of the bony ridge until there is enough bone to support your implants.
• Sinus lift or sinus augmentation. You may need this bone graft to replace your upper back teeth. These teeth are close to the sinus cavities, as spaces are located on either side of your nose. The bone in this area is frequently weaker and less capable of supporting dental implants properly. A sinus lift is a delicate procedure, as there is a membrane between the jawbone and the sinus cavities. Your implant dentist makes a small incision into the jawbone, exposing the membrane and gently lifting it upward. This creates a space that is then packed with a suitable bone grafting material, increasing the volume of bone available for the implants.

How Can a Dentist Tell How Much Bone is Available for Dental Implants?

Besides traditional imaging tests such as 2-D dental x-rays, your dentist will also take a 3-D cone beam CT scan. This scan provides a much more detailed overview of your jawbone health, providing clear digital images showing the remaining teeth, jawbone, and soft structures. It’s an extremely important scan for planning and placing dental implants accurately. Your implant dentist can view the CT scan and soon calculate the amount of bone available for dental implant treatment. If it is deficient, they can discuss suitable bone grafting options with you.

What to Expect If You Need a Bone Graft?

If you need a bone graft, your dentist can use a local anesthetic to ensure you feel comfortable and only make a tiny incision to place the additional bone in your gums. Sometimes it is possible to place a bone graft simultaneously while removing a failing tooth or inserting a dental implant. Other times, when more bone grafting material is needed, it can be best as a stand-alone procedure, so the graft will need several months to heal before they place the implant.

If you need a bone graft, there is no need to be concerned. An experienced periodontist will ensure your bone grafting treatment is meticulously planned and that you feel comfortable during the procedure. However, if you feel anxious or nervous, talk to your doctor about these feelings. They can almost certainly provide additional sedation to keep you comfortable during treatment. This can be invaluable for anyone who may have previously delayed dental implant treatment because of dental anxieties and fears.

Sedation Dentistry for Bone Grafts

Sedation dentistry is widely available, and there are various options. However, one technique frequently used in implant dentistry is intravenous sedation. The sedative is continuously given through a vein in your arm or hand throughout the treatment with intravenous sedation. It acts very quickly, soon making you feel much more relaxed and may make you fall asleep. Afterward, it’s not uncommon to remember nothing about the procedure as the sedative can contain an amnesiac.

A bone graft surgery may sound dramatic, but it is a routine procedure that can help ensure your dental implant is a long-term success. Visit one of Precision Dental’s offices in Astoria or Bayside to discuss your specific case and appropriate dental bone grafting techniques, and find out for yourself why many of our patients consider us the best restorative dentists specializing in bone graft treatment in Queens, NY.