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Bone Grafts

When you lose a tooth in the front of your mouth, where the bone is very thin, the bone will usually melt away rather quickly, giving the appearance that the bone and/or gums are caving in, or collapsing. Often, this defect is visible when you smile. If a front tooth is replaced with a traditional bridge, the replacement tooth can look like a false tooth as the gums and bone above it begin to collapse, leaving an obvious black space above the tooth.

When all posterior teeth are missing, the back of your mouth actually collapses as the bone deteriorates. The teeth in the front of your mouth begin to flare out as the entire bite collapses and the corners of your mouth droop. Your appearance begins to change as the height of the jawbone decreases. If your posterior teeth are placed with a partial denture, the bone deterioration actually accelerates as the partial denture presses down on the gums and underlying bone when you eat.

When all of your teeth are missing, the jawbone deteriorates rapidly. In addition, as the bone melts away, your muscles migrate - or pull back - from their natural position. Your lips cave in as they lose bone support, and wrinkles increase dramatically as your bony facial structures melt away.

Fortunately, there are techniques available from Dr. Stobaugh and Dr. Metz as oral Surgery Specialists that can replace lost bone tissue. They will visit with you about your concerns and offer their expert clinical recommendations for your specific situation and desires.
If you have already lost bone, some of their recommendations may include:

Ridge preservation grafts – to replace bone in s single tooth site
Sinus lift bone graft procedures – to replace bone lost in the upper jaw
Autogenous bone graft – your own bone moved to a site where the bone in your jaw has become very thin.
PRP (platelet rich plasma) technique – your body’s platelets to promote faster and more efficient healing.
Tibial bone grafts –done in our surgical suite while you are comfortably sedated

We will gladly answer your questions about bone grafts. Simply call our Houston oral surgery office for assistance. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of Houston is easily accessible for patients in Bellaire, Memorial, Katy, Cypress, Piney Point Village, and Bunker Hill Village.