3 ways to treat bone loss and support successful implant placement

As a specialty practice, Pasadena Periodontics in California can restore the health and density of the bone in the jaw with or without regenerative surgery! Due to our array of advanced diagnostics and therapeutic technologies, Drs. Joel Henriod, Tyler Hendry, and Jane Law help those patients who might otherwise be precluded from dental implants enjoy all of the many benefits of this highly popular form of tooth replacement. Bone loss is a common complication of tooth loss, but it can be overcome with the following three treatments.

Treatment No. 1: Bone grafting

When bone loss is not avoided with prompt tooth replacement following an extraction, our periodontists may recommend this procedure to build up lost hard tissue in the jaw. Either a synthetic or natural tissue substitute is used as the “graft,” or the new bone. This graft is then applied to the jaw area that has sustained bone loss. Once secured, this new tissue helps to build up the deteriorated jawbone. It also encourages natural tissue regeneration. This has benefits on its own, as bone loss can result in many functional and aesthetic complications. We can resolve worsening problems with speech, eating, and the collapsed or “sunken in” appearance that often accompanies the process of bone resorption. This latter complication can prematurely age you. In the context of implants, bone grafting provides the sufficient support that the implant needs in the jaw. The implant can grow predictably and naturally into healthy, supportive bone. In turn, this treatment helps promote the implant’s success, which will later function as an artificial tooth root to stabilize your new tooth.

Treatment No. 2: Sinus lifts

Also known as “sinus augmentation,” the sinus lift is appropriate for patients who have lost teeth in the upper jaw. The areas toward the back of the mouth – the sinus cavities – are naturally shallow. However, the loss of bone in the jaw post-tooth loss can make this already shallow area even more depressed and lack support. With this particular approach to rebuilding bone, Drs. Henriod, Hendry, or Law gently pushes up the membranes that line the sinus cavity. In doing so, they elevate or lift the sinus away from the jaw. We then apply a tissue substitute derived from a part of your body or another source to the space or cavity. Once this material has fully integrated with the surrounding bone, we have sufficient supportive tissue to begin placing your implants! You are positioned well for a successful treatment.

Treatment No. 3: Alternatives to bone grafting

Not everyone is a good candidate for bone grafting, nor is every patient keen about undergoing an additional surgical procedure. Plus, why undergo such a treatment if you do not have to? Our periodontists at Pasadena Periodontics can address existing bone loss with grafting or sinus lifts. We use advanced diagnostics, such as our 3-Dimensional Cone Beam CT (CBCT) scanner. This advanced twist on conventional CT scanners shows us the full 360-degree view of the mouth, jaws, and associated structures. With this full picture, our periodontists precisely measure both the width and height of the bony ridges that house the teeth (and are vulnerable to resorption). There may be sufficient bone for implants, including advanced systems such as All-on-4. This approach is commonly referred to as a “graft-less” procedure, because our team in Pasadena, CA positions as few as four to six implants to support a full upper or lower denture by making the best use of available bone.

For those who may have been told they are not good candidates for implants, we encourage you to contact our specialists for a second opinion. Call our expert team at (626) 796-5386 today to schedule your consultation.

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