Over time, the jawbone where teeth are missing tends to shrink or get reabsorbed. This often results in insufficient bone volume and density to support dental implants. Because of this, many patients may initially not qualify for dental implant placement.
Thankfully, modern techniques enable us to regenerate bone where it is lacking. This allows us not only to place implants of the right length and thickness but also to restore your smile’s function and appearance.
Request an AppointmentMajor Bone Grafting
Bone grafting is a valuable solution to rebuild dental implant sites where bone is insufficient due to prior tooth extractions, gum disease, or injury. The graft material may come from a tissue bank or from bone harvested from your own body—commonly from the jaw, hip, or tibia (below the knee). Sinus lifts are also performed to add bone in the upper back jaw region. Special resorbable membranes can be placed over the graft to protect it and help encourage new bone growth, a process called guided bone regeneration or guided tissue regeneration.
Major bone grafts are typically used to fix large jaw defects caused by trauma, tumor removal, or birth defects. In these cases, bone is taken from larger donor sites like the skull (cranium), hip (iliac crest), or lateral knee (tibia), depending on the defect’s size. These surgeries are performed in an operating room and usually require a hospital stay.