Bone & Soft Tissue Grafting

Restore Lost Jaw Bone

When teeth are missing from the dental arch, atrophy can occur in the bone that surrounds and supports the teeth (the alveolar ridge/jaw bone) because your missing tooth roots are no longer stimulating the jaw bone when you chew. For the placement of stable, long-lasting dental implants, you need a strong jaw bone.

Our skilled oral surgeons, Drs. Baker and Jepsen, perform several types of bone grafting techniques to build healthy bone mass in the areas where dental implants will be placed, allowing dental implants to be an option for more of our patients. Once your new implant or implants are placed, they will act just like natural tooth roots in your jaw, helping to maintain the strength of your jaw bone for years to come.

Our doctors also use bone grafting in the treatment of other oral and maxillofacial conditions such as in the repair of injuries from facial trauma. Like bone grafts, soft tissue grafts can play an important role in successful dental implant placement, both promoting healing around a dental implant and helping to ensure an optimal long-term result. The tissue used for soft tissue grafts is usually harvested from another part of your oral cavity, often the roof of your mouth.

Grafting procedures are performed in our inviting Pocatello and Blackfoot offices with local anesthesia or IV sedation. To make sure that you are comfortable and at ease every step of the way, our doctors can provide you with multiple options for your anesthesia, including sedation dentistry for our patients who may be feeling anxious about receiving treatment. Your oral surgeon will discuss your anesthesia and pain management options with you in detail during your consultation appointment.

To learn more about bone and soft tissue grafting at Oral Surgery Specialists of Idaho, we hope you will explore the stories of some of our bone and soft tissue grafting patients.

Types of Bone Grafting

Bone grafts are very effective at helping to build bone mass and strength in areas of the jaw where implants are to be placed. For this reason, bone grafting is often the first step when receiving dental implants, and your surgeon will often place a graft at the same time as a dental implant.

Bone grafts usually consist of a solution of granulated bone material (or other healing agents), applied to the areas with inadequate bone. The bone material is typically sourced from another part of your body or from a tissue bank. At Oral Surgery Specialists of Idaho, we perform several types of bone grafting treatments to meet our patient’s needs, including

• Ridge Augmentation. If your alveolar ridge (the bone that surrounds your teeth) is lacking in bone density, bone graft material may be inserted into the area where an implant is to be placed to stimulate bone growth for a stable implant placement.
• Sinus Lift. If the wall that separates the sinus from the oral cavity is too thin to support a secure dental implant placement, your oral surgeon may place a bone graft in the jaw below the sinus membrane to supplement the area.
• Socket Preservation. Your oral surgeon may fill your tooth socket with bone grafting material immediately after extraction to prepare the site for a future dental implant.

Drs. Baker and Jepsen are highly trained and experienced in bone and soft tissue grafting techniques. During your consultation at one of our offices in Pocatello and Blackfoot, the health of your gum tissue and your jaw bone will be assessed to discover if a tissue or bone graft will benefit you.

Bone & Soft Tissue Grafting in Pocatello and Blackfoot, ID

Bone grafting and soft tissue grafts can vastly improve the long-term stability of dental implants. If you have questions about the grafting procedures we perform at our practice, or you are ready to schedule your consultation with Drs. Baker or Jepsen, please contact us at your convenience. We look forward to helping you achieve the smile of your dreams.