Bone Grafting

Dr. Justin Clemow and Dr. Timothy Bartholomew have extensive training and experience with all types of bone grafting, including socket preservation, ridge augmentation, and sinus lifts. These procedures are generally done in preparation for dental implant placement, which will also be expertly performed at North Coast Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery either in conjunction with bone grafting or several months afterwards.

Socket Preservation: This is bone grafting that is performed at the time of tooth extraction. Sometimes bone removal is required to extract a tooth, and always after a tooth is lost or removed, the bone of the socket will resorb or shrink. If an implant is planned to replace the missing tooth, then socket grafting is performed at the time of tooth removal to counteract the bone resorption that occurs. An implant is then placed about 4 months later.

Ridge Augmentation / Guided Bone Regeneration: Occasionally patients don’t consider implants until after they have been missing teeth for a while. If a 3D CT scan of the site(s) shows that there isn’t enough bone height or width for implant placement, then ridge augmentation is required. At North Coast Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery we can discuss a variety of techniques to achieve ridge augmentation, and offer the option that best fits your specific situation.

Sinus Lift: When implants are desired in upper molar location, sometimes the position of the sinus cavity is a factor. When there is not enough bone height to allow for implant placement, a sinus lift is required. This procedure may be done in conjunction with implant placement, or months before, depending on how much bone you have to begin with. Sinus lift grafting involves making a window in the sinus wall, carefully lifting up the sinus membrane, and placing a bone graft along the sinus floor elevate it.