So you are interested in dental implants but your jawbone is not sturdy enough to support them? You may still be a candidate if Spokane Valley, WA dentist Dr. Craig Ellsworth can strengthen the bone in your jaw through bone grafts. He will use a special bone grafting material, sometimes combined with bone from elsewhere in your mouth, to encourage new bone growth.
Call Spokane Valley, WA dentist Dr. Craig Ellsworth at 509-850-3217 to find out if bone graft is an option for you.
Two Types of Bone Grafts
There are two types of bone grafts. If performed right after a tooth extraction, the process is pretty simple. The longer teeth are missing, the more your bone shrinks and the more complicated a bone graft becomes.
They are:
- Dr. Craig Ellsworth packs material designed to encourage bone growth into your tooth’s socket immediately after he extracts your tooth. He covers the area with a protective membrane and then carefully closes the socket, to protect the area while new bone grows. The process is quick and easy and typically will not lengthen your extraction recovery time. Over the next few weeks, new bone growth fills the socket, so the area becomes strong enough to support a dental implant.
- If your bone has shrunk over time because your missing teeth were not replaced, Dr. Craig Ellsworth opens up the area with a small incision and inserts the material. He may combine the material with granules of your own bone from another area of your mouth; this helps accelerate new bone growth. He covers the area with a protective membrane. After the bone graft heals in a few months, Dr. Craig Ellsworth can place a dental implant.
Bone loss in your jawbone can limit your dental options. Bone grafts can open up more opportunities for you. Call 509-850-3217 or use our online form to discuss a bone graft with Dr. Craig Ellsworth.
