Page 70 - Southdown Dental Implant Book

Eight: Bone and Soft Tissue Grafting | 69 Challenges like these can be conquered with some auxiliary procedures that can be performed in order to overcome challenges like not having enough bone, or gum tissue, where the implants need to go. We’ll cover two of the most common auxiliary procedures here: 1. BONE GRAFTING This is performed when the patient does not have enough quality bone density in the jawbone. Artificial bone is a great way to thicken the density of bone at the site of the implant; once the artificial bone is inserted into the areas that have “thinned out,” your natural bone will regenerate around it. The most common auxiliary procedure used in preparation for implant surgery, a bone graft can be necessary for up to 90% of dental implant cases. 2. SOFT TISSUE GRAFTING It’s common to see gum tissue shrink as people age. Ever heard of the expression “long in the tooth”? Well, that’s where it came from. However, teeth don’t actually grow longer – the gum line is simply receding as the tissue diminishes.