Regenerative Periodontics
Bone Regeneration
Regenerative procedures can repair and restore some of the damages of bone as a result of periodontal disease.
Bone grafting can be performed on certain cases such as defective bone loss around a tooth, extraction sockets, implant sites with inadequate bone structure due to previous extractions, gum disease or injuries.The bone is either obtained from a tissue bank www.osteohealth.com or from your own jaw bone.
This movie shows bone regeneration around a molar using Guided Tissue Regeneration. This example uses a resorbable membrane to prevent soft tissue in growth.
Ridge Preservation
The area of the jaw bone that anchors a tooth is known as a tooth socket. After the tooth is removed, the bone that supported the tooth may become disfigured. A socket preservation procedure is performed to reduce bone loss in the socket for cosmetic and functional purposes. It also allows for the future placement of dental implants by maintaining its bone contour and volume.
This movie shows how we can preserve a ridge from atrophy after multiple tooth extractions using an allograft and a collagen membrane.
Guided Bone Regeneration
Over a period of time, the jawbone associated with missing teeth atrophies or is reabsorbed. This often leaves a condition in which there is poor quality and quantity of bone feasible for implant placement. Regenerative procedure utilizing bone grafting and membrane barrier can augment the amount of bone height and volume for the placement of dental implants A non resorbable collagen membrane is placed over the grafted site in order to protect the bone grafting material and encourage bone regeneration. This is called guided bone regeneration or guided tissue regeneration.
Major bone grafts are typically performed to repair defects of the jaws. These defects may arise as a result of traumatic injuries, tumor surgery, or congenital defects. Large defects are repaired using the patient's own bone This bone is harvested from a number of different sites depending on the size of the defect.
Sinus Augmentation
The maxillary sinuses are located behind your cheeks and on top of the upper teeth. Sinuses are air-filled and hollow. Some of the roots of the natural upper teeth extend up into the maxillary sinuses. When these upper teeth are removed, there is often just a thin wall of bone separating the maxillary sinus and the mouth. This condition makes it difficult for the placement of dental implants. In order to achieve an adequate amount of bone near the sinus area, sinus bone grafting or sinus augmentation procedure is strongly recommended.
This movie shows how we perform a ’sinus lift’ procedure. When the sinus has expanded and destroyed the bone in the alveolar ridge (posterior upper jaw) we want to bring it back to its original position so we can place implants in this area. We peel back the gums, make a window in the side of the sinus, lift the membrane to a new position, fill the area with different bone substitutes, close it and wait for the bone to mature before placing the implant.
The sinus graft makes it possible for many patients to have dental implants when years ago there was no other option other than wearing loose dentures.
If enough bone between the upper jaw ridge and the bottom of the sinus is available to stabilize the implant well, sinus augmentations and implant placement can sometimes be performed as a single procedure. If not enough bone is available, the Sinus Augmentation will have to be performed first, then the graft will have to mature for several months, depending upon the type of graft material used. Once the graft has matured, the implants can be placed.
Clinical Crown Lengthening
If you have a fractured or decayed tooth , an insufficient amount of your own natural tooth is visible for the dentist to repair or restore the tooth. Crown lengthening procedure corrects this condition by exposing more of your natural tooth surface for proper restorative treatment. It is essential to have an adequate "biologic width" between the gingiva and the tooth for the placement of a crown. This procedure often makes a restorative or cosmetic treatment possible.
This movie shows a tooth that has cracked and lost an entire cusp. It has broken below the gum line and requires crown lengthening before it can be restored.