Northern Colorado Periodontics

Ridge Augmentation: Regenerate Bone to Allow for Implant Placement

 

The key to the success of a dental implant is the quantity and quality of bone that remains after the loss of a tooth. When a tooth or teeth have been missing for a long time, the bone which used to support the teeth melts away, much like an unused muscle shrinks without exercise. If a dental implant is needed at a missing tooth site like this, there may not be enough bone present to place the implant into!

Fortunately Dr. Shumaker, and Dr. Allen can perform a Ridge Augmentation Bone graft to regenerate the missing bone to provide enough support for your dental implant(s). Depending on how severe the bone loss is, the ridge augmentation bone graft will either be done prior to implant placement or in less severe cases can be done at the same time as the implant placement procedure.

Before Ridge Augmentation Bone GraftWith this procedure, additional bone is placed underneath the gum tissue, in the area where it has been lost. Dr. Shumaker or Dr. Allen may also use a dissolvable collagen barrier growth factors to help stimulate the body’s own natural healing of the bony defect.

The bone used for ridge augmentation procedures is usually bottled bone obtained from an accredited tissue bank, preventing the need (in most cases) to take bone from other areas of your body. In some severe cases, the doctors may need to take some of your own bone from another area inside your mouth, but usually, this is not necessary.

Bottled bone grafts are extremely safe and have been in use in dental surgery for over 40 years without one single documented case of disease transmission. Tissue banks carefully screen donors and then extensively test and treat the bone graft materials before they are packaged and distributed. You can rest assured that our office only uses bone materials from tissue banks accredited by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB).

Bone Graft MaterialAs the ridge augmentation bone graft heals, it tells your body to grow new bone in the defect area. Over 3-6 months your body uses the grafted bone as a scaffold and turns it into your own bone to produce an ideal quantity of bone to retain your dental implant(s).

If you are interested in a dental implant and/or have been told you would need a bone graft in order to have an implant placed, please contact the office at 970-207-4061 to schedule an evaluation, or ask your general dentist for a referral.

Get in Touch

    Fort Collins Office

    (970) 207-4061

    Fax Number

    (970) 207-0051

    Greeley Office

    3400 W 16th St
    Ste 5X
    Greeley, CO 80634

    Open Today 8:00am - 5:00pm

    More Info Directions (970) 714-2201

    Fort Collins Office

    4033 Boardwalk Dr
    Ste 100
    Fort Collins, CO 80525

    Open Today 8:00am - 5:00pm

    More Info Directions (970) 614-4313