Regenerate Dental Bone
Oral surgery designed to stimulate new growth in the jawbone is known as bone regeneration. The procedure is most often performed by a periodontist, quite often in preparation for the placement of a dental implant. It may also be performed as a preventive treatment to safeguard against tooth loss. Dental bone regeneration can also be beneficial to improve a sunken facial appearance or to create space during sinus lift surgery.
What Causes Jawbone Loss?
The jawbone, which is the foundation for anchoring your teeth and for also connecting your jaw to your skull, can deteriorate for several reasons. Most often, jawbone loss is caused by missing teeth. When a tooth and its roots are extracted, the jawbone has no pressure to stimulate it in that immediate area, so it begins receding.
Advanced gum disease, known as periodontitis, will also cause bone loss in the jaw. This is the result of untreated bacterial infections, which spread to the tissues of the jawbone and will significantly damage the bone.
Dental trauma might also lead to jawbone loss. This usually happens as a result of an infection after a tooth has been broken or knocked out. Finally, jawbone loss can also result from tumors and cancers.
Why Do You Need Bone Regeneration in Your Jaw?
If it is determined that you need dental bone regeneration, it is the result of experiencing significant bone loss, and you need to stimulate new growth. If you are hoping to replace a missing tooth with a dental implant, your dentist will first need to confirm that you have sufficient and adequate jawbone to support the implants. The jawbone should meet certain height and density requirements. If your jawbone has deteriorated and lost mass, you will need bone regeneration before you can have a dental implant restoration.
Or, you might choose to have bone regeneration to correct premature aging from a sunken facial appearance. It might be possible that you are referred for dental bone regeneration to prevent any future tooth loss and dental problems. Finally, you may need this surgery after a serious gum infection that damaged your jawbone.
What is the Procedure for Regenerating Dental Bone?
Dental bone regeneration requires bone grafting. During a bone graft procedure, an incision is made in the gum to expose the underlying bone. Any infection will be removed or totally cleaned out. Then, a graft material will be placed next to the bone. The graft can either be harvested from your own body, secured from a tissue bank, or even a synthetic material might be used. Once the graft material is placed, a membrane to prevent any downgrowth of the gum into the bone will also be placed.
During your surgery, Plasma Rich in Growth Factors, PRGF, might be injected to help maximize any bone regeneration and to expedite your healing process. This plasma is taken from your own body. It simply requires a blood draw, which is then placed in a centrifuge, which separates the growth factors so that they are concentrated. This very concentrated plasma is then injected into the site of the graft.
The science behind using PRGF in dental bone regeneration is like Platelet Rich Plasma, PRP, injections, which are often used to expedite healing after an orthopedic injury.