Bone Grafting

Bone deterioration, also known as bone resorption, is a common and natural occurrence in the jaw bone if a tooth or multiple teeth have been lost and not properly replaced or treated over an extended length of time. When bone resorption occurs, it can cause difficulties when exploring implant-based restorative treatments. In order for dental implants to be successful, there must be enough jaw bone to support it. Luckily, we offer a variety of bone grafting treatments at Balaci Oral and Facial Surgery to help more patients qualify for dental implants and rebuild areas of lost jaw bone.

If you have been missing one or more teeth for some time, your jaw bone has likely deteriorated in that area. Contact our oral surgery office in Lebanon, PA, for a consultation with Dr. Balaci or Dr. Murphy. We will evaluate your jaw bone and oral health goals and determine which type of bone grafting procedure is right for you.

Types of Bone Grafts

There are many different bone grafting procedures that may be performed, and the treatment you receive will depend on the location and surface area of the needed bone graft in your mouth. The material used to place the bone graft may be your own bone taken from the back of the mouth around the third molar in the upper or lower jaw, the chin, the hip, or the tibia.

If utilizing your own bone is not possible, you may receive a mineral bone substitute or obtain bone from a tissue bank. Our surgical team will examine each unique case to determine which option will optimize the long-term health of the mouth.

Sinus Lift

The maxillary sinuses reside behind your cheeks and on top of your upper teeth and always remain empty. It is common for the bone that separates your mouth from these sinuses to be too thin to support a dental implant if you need a tooth replacement. During a sinus lift, your surgeon enters into the sinus cavity and lifts the sinus membrane that lays on top of the bone. Next, he will place a bone graft beneath the membrane that will integrate with the jaw bone over several months following the procedure. Once the bone graft has been fully integrated with the jaw bone, a follow-up visit can be made to have a dental implant inserted.

Socket Preservation

If a permanent adult tooth is lost or must be extracted, it is important to preserve the empty tooth socket to prevent bone deterioration. During the socket preservation procedure, patients receive a small bone graft to fill the socket, which will slowly integrate with the natural bone for several weeks after placement. This procedure is simple, safe, and effective. It provides quick recovery time and continual benefits, such as maintaining the height and width of the bone should you choose to replace the tooth in the future with a solution such as dental implant placement.

Nerve Repositioning

The inferior alveolar nerve is a nerve that runs along the lower jaw bone and provides sensation to the lower lip and chin. During dental implant placement, the surgeon may need to reposition this nerve to place the implant into the jaw properly. This technique is usually only used when replacing a tooth in the area of the back two molars or second premolar. If nerve repositioning is required, a small section of the lower jaw bone is removed to isolate and slightly move the nerve to allow for proper implant placement. Once complete, the nerve is placed back in its original position, and a bone graft is used to fill the area of the jaw that was removed.

Ridge Expansion

The alveolar ridge is the bone that surrounds and supports the teeth. Over time, it is not uncommon for this bone to naturally deteriorate or become less dense. In this circumstance, the ridge can be treated with a bone graft procedure called ridge expansion which will strengthen and support the deteriorating bone. During ridge expansion, your surgeon carefully splits the bony ridge of the jaw and inserts bone graft material into the new space. This procedure is designed to widen or heighten the jaw to increase bone density and create a solid base for dental implants.

Platelet-Rich Plasma

Under normal circumstances, the speed at which a patient heals from an oral surgical procedure generally depends on the type of procedure that was performed, the patient’s ability to adhere to post-surgical instructions, and the overall health of the patient as they begin the healing process. However, recent advances in technology have provided oral and maxillofacial surgeons with new methods that can speed the healing process for patients and provide a quicker recovery time.

At Balaci Oral and Facial Surgery, we are proud to be one of the few offices that utilize a specialized treatment called platelet-rich plasma, or PRP. This allows us to collect a high concentration of our patient’s blood platelets and administer them directly to the surgical site. This technique sends three to five times the number of platelets in a normal blood sample to the site and prompts rapid vascularization and growth of bone and gum tissue, speeding up healing in the mouth.

Benefits of PRP

• No chemical additives are required, and there is a reduced risk of disease transmission since this technique utilizes the patient’s own blood sample
• Utilizing the patient’s own blood decreases the cost involved with harvesting platelets from a blood bank sample
• The PRP method is easy to implement in various procedures
• Rapid healing of tissue and bone enabled by the increased platelet and leukocyte levels

Am I a Candidate for Platelet-Rich Plasma?

Platelet-rich plasma can be used in a variety of oral surgical procedures, including dental implants, bone grafting, gum tissue grafting, general or wisdom tooth extractions, and sinus lifting. If you would like to learn more about this or any other oral surgical procedures, contact us at Balaci Oral and Facial Surgery. We are happy to discuss your surgical options and the use of platelet-rich plasma to ensure you achieve optimal results and a speedy recovery.