You May Be a Candidate for Dental Implants

Continuing advances in oral surgery make dental implants a viable option for more and more patients.  In fact, if you have been told in the past that you are not a candidate for dental implants due to lack of supporting bone, don’t lose hope.  You may actually be a candidate for this revolutionary tooth replacement system after all.

Missing teeth and periodontal (gum) disease can lead to bone loss in the jaws.  An adequate amount of bone in the jaw is required in order to properly place a dental implant.  In the past, many patients were ruled out due to poor quantity and/or quality of bone suitable for the placement of dental implants.

Today, technological advances in oral surgery including 3D imaging and “Virtual Surgery” enable oral surgeons to find useful, healthy bone that could not be accessed only a few years ago.  This new technology provides many patients who were ruled out in the past with the opportunity to receive dental implants.

Even if you do not have a sufficient quantity of bone in your jaw or jaws, you may still be a candidate for dental implants.  In many cases, bone grafting can be used to support dental implants for patients with bone loss.  Different types of bone grafting include Block Cortical Bone Grafting, Sinus Lift Bone Grafting, and Guided Bone Regeneration.

Block Cortical Bone Grafting is used for the restoration of lost bone in the cases where the height and width of remaining bone are insufficient to place an implant in the proper position.  Sinus Lift Bone Grafting is utilized to replace missing bone to allow for implant placement in the back of the mouth.  Guided Bone Regeneration may be utilized when there is a localized defect in the bone or only slightly inadequate bone in the area of implant placement.

If you have been told in the past that you are not a candidate for dental implants, it may be worth revisiting with your oral surgeon.  You may want to schedule an appointment to discuss the latest advancements in dental implants and how they may benefit you.