Before an implant can be placed, some patients will require surgical preparation in the upper jaw to ensure there is enough bone tissue into which the implant can be secured.
When the upper jaw has had no teeth for some time, the bone and surrounding tissues begin to disappear. If this occurs, there may not be sufficient levels of dense bone to place an implant. Fortunately, science has advanced a great deal in this area and one solution is to perform a sinus lift.
A sinus lift is an oral surgical procedure that extends into the sinus cavity above the jaw and packs bone graft material into this space. This graft material will be incorporated by the surrounding bone and form a solid structure very similar to bone. After a waiting period, the site will be checked and once an adequate bone density level is achieved your implant will be ready to be placed.
Another option in the upper jaw is to carry out a sinus graft. A sinus lift is an oral surgical procedure that extends into the sinus cavity above the jaw and packs bone graft material into this space. This graft material will be incorporated by the surrounding bone and form a solid structure very similar to bone. After a waiting period, the site will be checked and once an adequate bone density level is achieved your implant will be ready to be placed.
When teeth are lost the bone surrounding the teeth wastes away. As a result, there is also soft tissue wastage causing very thin gum tissue . When we place implants it is very important to have good quality bone to provide strong foundations for implants. It is equally important that we have thick, healthy gum overlying the bone and in close proximity to the implant components. If this is the case, then the implant will remain healthy for the long term as well as being more aesthetic. Another benefit will be that the metal colouring of the implant will not shine through, or even be exposed, causing aesthetic problems.
When placing implants or doing bone grafting, it is possible to do gum grafting procedures at the same time to bulk up the implant tissues. This normally involves taking gum tissue from the roof of the mouth and placing it where the implants will be. Another option, is to use a material called Alloderm, this comes from an external source and is much more convenient for the patient. This will provide us with an ideal result providing longterm functional and aesthetic benefits.
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