Bone Grafting
Sometimes your body needs the assistance of modern science
to repair or heal itself. This is the case when you've
lost bone from your jaw. To repair your jaw, we can perform
a surgical procedure called bone grafting, in which we
replace missing bone with other natural bone or artificial
bone. The area from which the bone was lost is frequently
called a "bony defect." A bony defect may be
the result of periodontal disease, tooth removal, trauma,
a cyst, or long-term tooth loss. A bone graft not only
replaces some of the bone that's missing from your jaw,
it also stimulates your body to grow new bone tissue.
Placing a bone graft
To place a bone graft, we first make sure the area is
completely numb, and then we gently separate the gums
from the bone or tooth. If a tooth is present in the grafting
site, we'll use a process called root planing to remove
all of the plaque and tartar from the root surfaces of
the tooth. This ensures that the area is free of harmful
bacteria.
We then sculpt the surrounding bone to the desired shape
and place the grafting material into the bony defect.
We have several options for grafting material: your own
natural bone; bone tissue from another source; or artificial
bone. After the graft is placed, your gums are repositioned
over the graft site and secure the site with sutures.
After the procedure
Over the course of 3 to 9 months, your body works to repair
the grafted site, growing new soft tissue and bone. This
new bone growth strengthens the area by connecting your
existing bone with the bonegraft material we placed during
the procedure. Sometimes we'll take another step called
guided tissue regeneration. In this case, a special membrane
is placed over the graft site to prevent unwanted tissue
from growing and to enhance normal bone growth.
Bone grafting has many benefits. It replaces lost or missing
bone, fills in pockets of bone loss, and stimulates new
bone and soft tissue growth. Though your body can't normally
grow new bone on its own, new techniques and advanced
bone grafting technology allow us to stimulate the re-growth
of lost jaw-bone tissue, strengthen your tooth attachment
and fill in the pockets of bone loss caused by periodontal
disease.
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| Bone loss due to periodontal
disease |
Placing the grafting material |
New bone growth |
Flap Surgery
What is flap surgery?
Periodontal flap surgery — also called pocket-depth
reduction surgery — is necessary when your gums still
have pockets of infection even after we've completed scaling
and root planing. This procedure will remove the existing
bacteria and any remaining plaque and tartar, reduce the
size of the pockets, and make it easier for you to keep
your teeth plaque-free.
Healthy gums have no pockets
In a healthy mouth, the gum and bone tissue fit snugly
up around the "neck" of your tooth. But when
you have periodontal disease, this tissue becomes damaged
and pulls away from the teeth, creating pockets where
bacteria thrive. If allowed to progress, the infection
will result in permanent bone and tissue loss, and you
will lose teeth.
Flap surgery can correct this problem
We are recommending a flap surgery procedure for you because
some deep pockets in your gums remain and are preventing
you from removing the plaque from your teeth. First, we'll
make sure the affected area is completely numb. Then we'll
make an incision in the gums, and gently fold back the
flap of gum tissue, exposing the pockets and the roots
of the teeth. At this point, the infected gum tissue,
plaque, and tartar will be removed.
We'll then smooth the area to eliminate irregular surfaces
on the bone. We'll also adjust your gum-line to help eliminate
the pockets, so it's easier for you to keep your teeth
plaque-free. When the procedure is complete, we will gently
close the flap and may place several stitches. We may
also pack a protective material around the area to prevent
contamination and speed healing. After a week or so, we’ll
have you back to check healing and remove any stitches
that were placed. Periodontal flap surgery, when combined
with good oral homecare, can help you keep your natural
teeth for a lifetime.
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| Infected pocket before
surgery |
Infected tissue and bacteria
are removed |
You’ll have stitches
for about a week |
Grafting
When gums are healthy, they fit snug against the teeth,
completely covering the roots. In some cases, often as
a result of periodontal disease, the gums pull away from
the teeth, exposing some of the root surface. When the
roots are exposed, the teeth appear longer, an effect
that can significantly age a person’s smile. If left
uncorrected, the loss of protective gum tissue may also
cause even more severe problems. Fortunately, we can correct
this problem with a procedure called grafting, in which
we use tissue from your palate to cover the roots of teeth.
How grafting works
First, we make sure that your gums are thoroughly numb
so that you remain comfortable throughout the procedure.
Then we take the graft from the donor site on the palate.
In some cases, the incision in the palate heals on its
own, but in other cases we close it with a stitch or two.
To place the graft, we must first gently separate the
gums from the teeth. This creates a flap and gives us
access to the area. We then carefully remove any plaque
and tartar from the root surfaces. Finally, the graft
is strategically placed and carefully stitched into place.
The results
After healing for a few weeks, the grafted tissue blends
in beautifully. With grafting, we can restore and strengthen
gums, cover and protect the root surfaces, and create
a more natural and pleasing appearance.
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| The donor site |
Gum recession |
After healing |
