Rebuild
Bone grafting before implants
An implant needs bone to hold it. Most patients have enough — but where a tooth has been missing for years, or was lost to periodontal disease, some of the bone that used to support it is gone.
In those cases there are predictable procedures to graft and regenerate the amount of bone needed for dental implants. Once sufficient new bone has been regenerated, enough implants can be placed to support a new prosthesis.
This is the question a 3D scan answers before anything is scheduled. If you have been told elsewhere that you do not have enough bone for implants, it is worth a second opinion.
Research background
Dr. Bankhead's master's research was on human bone regeneration.
Completed during his periodontal residency at the University of Nebraska, his study was one of the first to demonstrate histological evidence of bone regeneration in humans.
Full credentialsHow it fits into implant treatment
Grafting adds a step, and time
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01 · Imaging
Dental x-rays and a clinical exam determine whether enough bone exists. Our Kodak 3D CT imaging shows bone volume, nerve position and sinus anatomy in three dimensions.
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02 · Grafting
Where volume is short, grafting material is placed so new bone can regenerate. In the upper back jaw this is often a sinus lift.
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03 · Regeneration
New bone forms. Augmenting bone lengthens the healing period — healing times are related to human biology and cannot be made to go quicker than we were intended to heal.
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04 · Implants
Once there is sufficient bone, implants are placed — normally 3–4 months' healing in the lower jaw and 4–6 in the upper before restoration. The full sequence.
Smokers can successfully have implants, but they tend to heal more slowly, have more infections and experience more problems — which matters more than usual when bone is being regenerated.
Who needs it
Common situations
Grafting is not a separate treatment you shop for — it is part of getting a stable implant where the bone has receded. Whether you need it is determined by the scan, not by symptoms.
- Teeth lost to periodontal disease, where bone was lost with them
- A tooth missing for years, with the ridge narrowed over time
- Upper back teeth, where the sinus sits close to the ridge — see sinus lift
- Long-term denture wearers who have lost bone height and facial support
Told you don't have enough bone for implants?
Most patients have enough, and where they do not, it can often be regenerated. A 3D scan settles it.