Will You Need A Bone Graft Or Sinus Lift Before Your Implant Placement In Purley?

June 26, 2024
Posted by:
Dr Sonam Bhatia

While most people are suitable immediately, some may require additonal treatment beforehand.

If you have been a regular reader of our blogs, you will already know that in order to place a dental implant, there needs to be a healthy amount of good quality bone for them to be placed into. In general, most people will have this but that isn’t the case for everyone. Some people may be more at risk of poor bone structure than others and we will look at possible reasons why that might be the case in a moment.

If you are one of the people who don’t have sufficient good quality bone available, all is not lost and you don’t have to accept wearing dentures instead. It is possible to improve the bone quantity and quality with a prior procedure such as a bone graft or a sinus lift. 

If you are wondering whether you would need one or not, this can only be known for certain when you have an x-ray or scan at your popular Purley dentist. From the results of these, we can let you know and discuss your options going forward.

Who may have suffered bone loss in the jaw?

If you lose a tooth and have an implant soon after, there is a good chance that all will be well. If there is a lengthy delay though, your body will gradually reabsorb the minerals that make up the bone in that area and use it in another part of the body. Tooth loss is a known factor for reducing the available bone.

Advanced gum disease, namely periodontitis is another factor that can damage the bone in this area. If you haven’t looked after your gums well or indulge in habits that make periodontal disease more likely, such as smoking, there is a good chance your bone will have been affected and you may need a prior bone graft or sinus lift.

Any facial injury in that area such as a blow to the face playing sport may also have an impact and cause damage to the bone as well.

If you fall into any of the above categories and are planning to have dental implants in Purley, you may require one of these prior treatments. You should not presume that this is necessarily the case though and allow our implant dentists to take the relevant scans and x-rays before deciding your next steps.

What is a bone graft?

Where there is insufficient bone for an implant procedure, it is possible in many cases, to ‘graft’ another piece of bone onto the current bone structure in order to provide enough for the implant to be placed. The bone may be harvested from another part of your body, or obtained from animal or artificial sources.

In order to graft the bone, an incision is made in the gum and the bone attached to your current bone, along with additional substances that will help the bonding and healing. The incision is then stitched back up and you will need to wait a little time to allow it to fuse sufficiently ready for the placement. This usually takes a few weeks or longer to complete. You will need to take care with cleaning the area etc and our dentist will advise you of this at the time.

What is a sinus lift?

A sinus lift may be needed when an implant is due to be placed in the upper jaw. In some cases, the sinus floor may have expanded due to bone loss and be too close for an implant to be safely placed. When this occurs, a sinus lift procedure may be needed to enable an implant to be placed. This is done by making an incision and gently lifting the sinus membrane and ‘filling’ the created space with bone which is then grafted onto the current jawbone in that area.

In both cases of course, the procedure is performed using a strong local anaesthetic to ensure the maximum level of comfort during the treatment.

Using these above procedures, we can ensure that there is sufficient good quality bone structure to allow you to have your dental implant placed.  With good care, you should expect a similar level of strength and stability as you would if it had directly been placed into the bone. In both cases, you will need to keep the implant clean with good brushing, flossing and ongoing professional check ups etc, and, if you do, you might expect your dental implant to last in the region of twenty years or more.

To find out more about dental implants or to find out if you are a suitable candidate for immediate placement, please call Purley Dental care today on 020 8660 2928.

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