Bone Grafts and Guided Tissue Regeneration

Restore Your Smile With Jawbone Grafting

In patients hoping for dental implants to replace one or more missing teeth, there may be a need for a jawbone graft or guided tissue bone regeneration. These techniques enable us to create the bone structure necessary to support the implant and restore overall dental health.

At North Mississippi Periodontics and Implant Dentistry, we have over 30 years of experience in jawbone grafts and guided tissue regeneration. We use the very latest in tools and technology to ensure the best possible outcome for you. To schedule an appointment, please call us today.

An Overview of Jawbone Grafting

Your teeth are anchored in your jawbone. Without a strong jawbone, there'd be nothing to keep them in place. At the same time, the tooth stimulates the jawbone and causes it to grow. If the tooth is missing, your jawbone will deteriorate. If a tooth has been lost due to injury, trauma, or decay and not replaced with an implant, there may not be enough bone for a successful implant later.

At North Mississippi Periodontics and Implant Dentistry, we perform two types of bone grafts that restore your jawbone and give it the shape and strength necessary to support new titanium dental implants.

• Autogenous grafts — During an autogenous graft, Dr. Robertson takes healthy bone tissue from one part of your body and transplants it to your jawbone. Since the bone is from your body and is live (with active cellular material) when it's transplanted, there's a lower chance of rejection or infection.
• Allograft procedures — An allograft procedure is similar to an autogenous graft, except the bone tissue comes from a different source. Typical sources include human bone-bank donors and non-human sources (usually cows). The advantages of an allograft are that a second surgical site is not required and large amounts of bone can be obtained.

The bone graft is a standard surgical procedure and includes the following steps:

1. Anesthesia — Dr. Robertson will numb the areas that will provide and receive the bone.
2. Incisions — Our doctor will make an incision in your gums to determine exactly how much bone is needed. If he's performing an autogenous graft, he'll make a second incision (typically below the lower front teeth) to obtain the bone.
3. Transplant — The doctor will relocate the bone to your jaw and anchor it in place with titanium screws. He may add bone marrow and/or bone-grafting material to speed up the healing process.
4. Closure — Dr. Robertson will use sutures to close up the incisions.

Healing from jawbone graft surgery can take six to nine months. We'll provide you with complete care instructions and a prescription for antibiotics and pain medication after your procedure. Once the transplant has healed completely, we'll have you return to our offices for dental implants.

Guided Tissue Regeneration

Another option for restoring lost bone tissue is guided tissue regeneration. Instead of using bone from elsewhere in your body or from a donor, we use membrane barriers, tissue-stimulating proteins, and/or bioactive growth factor gels to encourage the bone to regenerate. Dr. Robertson will work with you to evaluate all your options, so call today to book your appointment.