Sinus Augmentation
The success of an implant will largely depend upon the quality and quantity of the jawbone at the location where the implant will be inserted. The most challenging place for a dental implant is the upper jaw towards the back of the mouth near the sinus. In the event that you require an implant in this area, a sinus augmentation may be necessary for the titanium implant to hold. This procedure involves the raising of the sinus floor to increase healthy bone tissue for implantation.
There are a number of techniques that can be used to accomplish sinus augmentation. The most common is to make a small circular incision in the jawbone. The circular piece of bone is raised and placed in the sinus cavity and a bone graft is placed in the hole where the bone was originally located. This can help to regenerate bone tissue to make the implant possible. The area is allowed to heal for between four months to a year before the implants are inserted. This procedure is largely successful at making the jawbone strong enough to receive dental implants. The majority of patients only report feeling minimal pain during sinus augmentation.
Ridge Modification
Another problem that might affect the success of a dental implant is a deformity in either the lower or upper jaw known as a ridge. These abnormalities can have a number of different causes including trauma, injury, developmental defects, the use of dentures, and periodontal disease. These deformities can not only cause dental implants to be unsuccessful, they can also lead to visually unappealing dents in the jaw close to where the missing teeth were located. Along with being unattractive, this also makes the area hard to clean.
In order to fix the deformity, the gum must be moved and the bone exposed underneath. The ridge will then be filled with bone graft or artificial bone to make the jaw even. The incision is then closed and allowed to heal for a period of four months to a year. At this point, the dentist will see if the jaw is ready for the implants to be placed. Ridge modification has been highly effective at both improving the visual appearance of the jaw as well as increasing the success of dental implants.