Bone loss is common and can happen for a variety of reasons. One of the main reasons for it is periodontal disease. Bone loss can also occur from tooth loss, infection, trauma, and not having a tooth when you were born.

As soon as a tooth is lost, the jaw bone starts to deteriorate. This can cause the appearance of a prematurely aged face and can limit tooth replacement options. Fortunately, Dr. Amar Katranji can perform bone grafting procedures that stimulate new bone growth and make dental implants a viable option.

Bone grafting is a regeneration or replacement of bone that a patient has lost. This process can be done with the patient’s own bone or with bone from other sources (cadaver, animal products, synthetic bone). The graft acts as a platform for nearby bone to grow upon and over a period of time, the grafted bone will integrate into the patient’s jaw and become their own. Essentially, bone grafts are trying to trick your body to regenerate what it needs to regenerate.

The many benefits of bone grafting include:

1. Increasing the quality & quantity of bone available for implant placement
2. Repairing bone trauma
3. Restoring lost bone due to infection
4. Repairing congenital abnormalities and malformations
5. Filling in lost bone due to tooth extraction

Bone grafting is frequently necessary before a dental implant can be placed. Without the bone there is no foundation or anchor for the tooth. Dental implants are a desirable option for people who are looking for a natural, permanent solution to tooth loss. As such, it is important that the patient understands bone grafting may be a necessary step in the process of regaining esthetically pleasing and fully functioning dentition.