Patient Knowledge Resource
Bone Grafting
Dr. James Chapko can perform bone grafting at our Belvidere practice to build up your tissue, improve your oral health, and help you enjoy the benefits of dental implants.
Dental Implants are a natural choice to replace missing teeth.
Single & Multiple Tooth Implants
When you are missing one or more teeth, dental implants provide an ideal replacement mechanism. An implant is a safe, effective procedure that restores your smile quickly.
All-on-4 Dental Implants
For patients that have lost all of their teeth on the upper or lower arch or will soon be, All-on-4 “Teeth in a Day” treatment is an excellent option. This remarkable procedure has you smiling the same day of your appointment.
Implant Supported Dentures
Dental Implants can even make removable dentures more comfortable, effective and healthier to wear. For patients that require a denture, implant supported dentures are preferred by many patients.
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Why might I need bone grafting?
Missing teeth leave gaps in your smile that can be both embarrassing and unhealthy. When a lost or extracted tooth no longer stimulates the bone tissue by chewing, the bone begins to deteriorate. Some patients may naturally have narrower, less dense bones, exacerbating this condition. Bone loss can change your facial shape, making your cheeks appear hollow or your face appears gaunt. In addition, insufficient jawbone tissue can make you ineligible for dental implants, titanium posts that replace missing tooth roots and stably hold restorations.
You may be eligible for bone grafting if you:
- Have recently lost a tooth or required an extraction.
- Lack adequate bone tissue to hold dental implants.
- Do not suffer from gum disease or other oral health concerns. Dr. Chapko can help you treat these conditions before performing a bone graft.
- Are in good general health, able to safely undergo anesthesia and surgery.
- Systemic or immune compromising illnesses could interfere with this process.
- Are not allergic or sensitive to the grafting material used.
- Have realistic expectations about the outcomes for your procedure.
Dr. Chapko will assess your mouth, perform appropriate diagnostic tests, go over your medical records, and discuss your concerns to determine if you qualify for bone grafting.
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Types of Bone Grafting
We offer two kinds of bone grafting at our oral surgery practice to help suit each patient’s distinctive needs and wishes. These include:
Autogenous grafts. Also called “autologous” bone grafting, this technique uses your own tissue to enhance your jawbone. To perform this procedure, Dr. Chapko will first need to harvest bone tissue from another area of your body, usually your jaw or chin. Then, he will use this material to modify your jawbone. Since they utilize your own tissue, autogenous grafts typically integrate well with your jawbone. In addition, they include important nutrients and compounds that help your bone regenerate.
Allografts. Using this method, Dr. Chapko will build up your bone tissue with freeze-dried and carefully preserved cadaver bone tissue. Allografts require no additional surgery, but this tissue is not live, so it does not help the bone heal.
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The Procedure
Advanced implant-retained prostheses can improve appearance, oral health, and quality of life.
Once Dr. Chapko has obtained the grafting material, he will numb the affected gum tissue with local anesthetic and incise it. Although bone does not have nerve endings, gum tissue does. Dr. Chapko uses optimal anesthetic and sedation techniques to ensure your maximum comfort. After numbing your gum tissue, he will modify your existing bone as necessary and attach the grafting material with titanium screws. He may then cover it with bone marrow or plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) to help the bone fuse with the graft and heal efficiently. Finally, Dr. Chapko will suture your gums to finish the graft. He may also perform bone grafts as part of ridge augmentation, ridge preservation, or a sinus lift.