Bone grafting is a procedure used to build up the bone beneath the surface of the gums. The bones in the upper and lower arch of the mouth are responsible for supporting the teeth. When one or more teeth fall out, bone resorption occurs naturally. When patients decide to replace missing teeth with dental implants or other prosthetic devices, insufficient bone mass can prevent them from qualifying for the procedure. Bone grafting addresses inadequate bone mass by filling in eroded areas with bone harvested from the patient’s own body, or that of a cadaver or animal, or from synthetically made material. The added bone helps promote new bone growth that will eventually support a dental implant or other prosthesis.
Depending on the extent and the location of missing bone, sometimes ridge augmentation and/or sinus augmentation is necessary along with bone grafting. Evaluation by your dentist is needed to determine what type of procedure you would need.