Dental Implants In Richmond – Options for Patients With Bone Loss
Dental implants in are commonly regarded as the best method of replacing missing or damaged teeth, yet patients who are suffering from bone loss, regularly find themselves turned down for the procedure. However, the good news is that here at Sheen Dental we offer a number of options for patients who do not have sufficient bone in their jaw to support a dental implant.
Bone loss typically happens when teeth are lost, and is more common in older people who may have been wearing traditional dentures for years, and are now looking to have their dentures secured with dental implants in Richmond.
Dental implants are embedded into the jaw bone and over a period of time integrate with the surrounding bone and soft tissues to keep the implant secure. However, in order for them to be successful they require sufficient depth and width to cover them. When the bone isn’t sufficiently dense, the implants are unlikely to integrate with the surrounding bone and as a result will fail.
Bone grafts
Often it’s possible for us to increase the volume of bone using a bone graft. A small amount of bone is taken from the patient, or we can use artificial bone matter, and grafted onto the implant site. This is then left for a period of time to integrate with the bone at the implant site and to produce healthy new bone growth. This can take several months, but once we’re happy that there is sufficient bone, then we can go ahead with the implant procedure.
Sinus lift
The sinus cavity is very close to the rear back teeth in the upper jaw and often if we’re replacing teeth in that area, it may be necessary to carry out a sinus lift to treat the expanded sinus. It’s called a lift because we cut a small widow in the bone and then lift the sinus membrane gently up to enable us to place a small amount of bone grafting material onto the floor of the maxillary sinus. It may take six months or more to heal, after which time we’ll be able to place a dental implant into the grafted sinus
Although bone grafts and sinus lifts sound a scary prospect, they’re pretty commonplace, and something that we do here on a regular basis, so please don’t feel scared, as you’re in extremely safe hands. Bone grafts give us the ability to help more people benefit from implants who previously have been turned away.
Whether you’ve been turned down for dental implant treatment or you’d like to know more about how dental implants in Richmond could benefit you, then why not come and have a chat with us during a friendly and informal implant consultation. You can book online at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk or contact us by phone on 020 8876 5277. We look forward to hearing from you.