Bone Grafting in Princeton and Flemington, NJ
The Challenge of Bone Loss
Over a period of time, the jawbone associated with missing teeth atrophies, or is reabsorbed, by the body. This often leaves a condition in which there is poor quality and quantity of bone suitable for the placement of dental implants. In these situations, many patients are not immediate candidates for dental implants, as the foundation is not strong enough to support them.
Our Ability to Regenerate Bone
Today, our surgeons have the ability to grow bone right where it is needed. This not only gives us the opportunity to place dental implants of the proper length and width, but it also gives us a chance to restore the jaw's natural function and aesthetic appearance. Using a variety of advanced bone grafting techniques, we can repair implant sites and jaw defects to create a healthy, stable foundation for your smile.
Understanding Jaw Bone Loss: The Causes
Jaw bone loss, or atrophy, can occur for several reasons, leaving a deficient foundation that is unsuitable for dental implants. Understanding the cause is the first step in creating a plan to restore it. The most common reasons for bone deterioration include:
- Tooth Extraction or Loss: Your natural teeth play a crucial role in maintaining the density of your jaw. The daily stimulation from chewing and biting sends signals through the tooth roots that tell your body to preserve the surrounding bone. When a tooth is lost or extracted, these signals cease, and the body begins to resorb the "unused" bone, causing it to shrink in both height and width over time.
- Periodontal (Gum) Disease: Advanced gum disease is a chronic bacterial infection that attacks the structures supporting your teeth. The infection can destroy the ligaments and, eventually, the alveolar bone itself, leading to loose teeth and significant bone deterioration even before a tooth is lost.
- Traumatic Injury: A significant injury to the face or jaw can fracture or crush the bone. After the injury heals, there may be a defect or a significant loss of bone volume in the affected area that requires a graft to properly restore the jaw's original form and function.
Minor Bone Grafting
Minor bone grafts are routine procedures that can be performed in our office to build support for dental implants. The bone is typically obtained from a sterile, FDA-regulated tissue bank. In some cases, special membranes may be utilized that dissolve under the gum to protect the bone graft and encourage bone regeneration. This is called guided bone regeneration.
Major Bone Grafting
Major bone grafts are more extensive procedures typically performed in a hospital operating room to repair larger defects of the jaws. These defects may arise as a result of traumatic injuries, tumor surgery, or congenital defects. For these large repairs, the patient’s own bone is often used, harvested from sites such as the skull, hip, or tibia.
Types of Bone Grafting Procedures
Our surgeons are highly skilled in a wide range of bone grafting techniques. After a thorough evaluation using 3D imaging, they will recommend the approach best suited for your specific clinical needs.
Socket Preservation
When a tooth is extracted, the empty socket can collapse and lose significant bone volume in a short amount of time. Socket preservation is a proactive procedure performed at the same time as the tooth extraction. Your surgeon will place bone grafting material directly into the empty socket. This acts as a scaffold, preventing the surrounding bone from shrinking and creating a solid foundation for a future dental implant.
Ridge Augmentation
If a tooth has been missing for some time, the jaw ridge may have become too thin or short to support an implant. Ridge augmentation is a procedure designed to rebuild the natural height and width of the jaw bone. By adding bone back to the deficient area, we can restore the original contour of the ridge, which is essential for placing a dental implant in the ideal position for both function and aesthetics.
Sinus Lift (Sinus Augmentation)
The maxillary sinuses are natural, air-filled spaces located just above your upper back teeth. When upper teeth are lost, the bone separating the mouth from the sinus can become very thin. A sinus lift is a specialized procedure that raises the sinus membrane and places bone grafting material into that space. This increases the vertical height of the bone, creating the necessary support for placing dental implants in the upper jaw.
Nerve Repositioning
The inferior alveolar nerve, which gives feeling to the lower lip and chin, runs through the lower jaw. In rare cases where severe bone loss has occurred, this nerve may need to be moved to make room for a dental implant. This is a complex procedure that is only considered when other, less aggressive options are not viable.
Bone Grafting Materials and Sources
To achieve the best results, our surgeons select the ideal material for your needs from several safe and effective sources:
- Patient's Own Bone (Autograft): For major defects, using the patient’s own bone often yields the best results. This bone is typically harvested from the chin, the back of the jaw, the hip, or the tibia.
- From a Tissue Bank (Allograft): For most in-office procedures, we use sterile, processed bone from an FDA-regulated tissue bank. This material is very safe and acts as a scaffold to promote your own bone to grow into the repair site.
- Synthetic Materials: In some cases, synthetic materials can be used to stimulate bone formation.
- Growth Factors: We can even use factors from your own blood (PRF) to accelerate and promote bone formation in graft areas, enhancing the healing process.
Your Comfort During Surgery
All bone grafting procedures are performed in our out-office surgical suite under IV sedation or general anesthesia to ensure you are completely comfortable. After you are discharged, we recommend bed rest for one day and limited physical activity for one week to ensure proper healing.
Patient Testimonials
Hear from our patients about their experiences with Bone Grafting and other procedures.
"Hi, I'm Lianna from Lambertville, and I came to West Jersey Oral, Maxillofacial & Dental Implant Surgery for an extraction, bone graft, and dental implant. The staff is extremely friendly and comforting and made me feel at ease. My doctor was extremely careful and caring. He was very gentle and made sure that I was feeling comfortable. My procedures went very well, and recovery was very smooth. My overall experience with this practice was extremely positive. I would absolutely recommend West Jersey Oral, Maxillofacial & Dental Implant Surgery. I felt very welcomed and comfortable going into the multiple surgeries that I was going to have."
"Hi, I'm Adam, and I'm from Lambertville, and I came to West Jersey Oral, Maxillofacial & Dental Implant Surgery for wisdom teeth removal and a gum graft. The staff was bubbly, energetic, and there to support you. The doctors here are absolutely amazing. They make you feel comfortable, always there to answer questions. Great bedside manners. My procedure went great for both of them. It was probably a day or two recovery, and I was back in action. My quality of life has definitely improved when I have a good smile, makes me more confident meeting other people. Overall experience here was great. I would a hundred percent recommend West Jersey Oral, Maxillofacial & Dental Implant Surgery."
"Hi, I'm Bill from Flemington, and I came to West Jersey Oral Maxillofacial & Dental Implant Surgery for several extractions and dental implants. When I first came into the practice, it felt very welcoming, warm—people were very friendly. The staff here, very professional. The doctor was very empathetic, fully explained what was gonna happen, and during the procedures, actually kept me up to date on what he was doing. The procedures I had done, the extractions as well as the implants, went extremely well. My experience was nurturing, caring. To all my friends in Somerset County, Flemington, and Somerville, I highly recommend West Jersey Oral, Maxillofacial & Dental Implant Surgery."
"Hi, I am Bill. I'm from Fort Good River and I came to West Jersey Oral, Maxillofacial, & Dental Implant Surgery for a dental implant. When I first walked into the practice, I was greeted very warmly. Everyone was very nice to me. The staff was very attentive, and my doctor was very informative, went over everything that he was going to do, made sure that I didn't have any questions, and that I was very comfortable. My procedure went very well. My quality of life has improved because I can actually chew as if it was my original tooth. My overall experience was very good. I would absolutely recommend West Jersey Oral, Maxillofacial, & Dental Implant Surgery to anyone who is really interested in having a good outcome."
"Hi, I'm Gabby from Califon and I came to West Jersey Oral, Maxillofacial, & Dental Implant Surgery to have my wisdom teeth removed. When I first walked into this practice, I felt super at ease. There were lots of smiles and friendly faces. It was a great place to be. My doctor was super nice, and when he walked in the room, he introduced himself with the biggest smile on his face, and he told me about the procedure and just really put me at ease. The procedure went so well, and the recovery was easy and smooth. I'm so happy to have a healthy smile. To all my friends and family in Somerset County, Flemington and Somerville. I highly recommend West Jersey Oral, Maxillofacial, & Dental Implant Surgery."
"Hi, I'm Jimmy from Lebanon Township and I came to West Jersey Oral, Maxillofacial, & Dental Implant Surgery to have my wisdom teeth removed. When I first walked into this practice, I felt at home. Everybody was welcoming, greeted me with smiles and good customer service. Everybody was charismatic and caring. My doctor was very professional, super friendly, and put me at ease before my procedure and answered any questions I had brought to him. My procedure went well. I had practically no time between me finishing my procedure and when I was able to get back to work. Having a healthy smile is really important to me. Out of five stars, I would rate this practice five stars. I would highly recommend people to West Jersey Oral, Maxillofacial, & Dental Implant Surgery."
"Hi, I'm Kait from Madison, and I came to West Jersey Oral, Maxillofacial, & Dental Implant Surgery for an implant. When I first walked in, I just felt incredibly welcome and at ease. The staff was really accommodating. My doctor is incredibly kind, very open-minded, and empathetic. My procedures went very well. After the procedures, I am very happy. I feel a lot more confident about my smile and ultimately just feel really happy that I have a care team that I know I can rely on. I would happily recommend West Jersey Oral, Maxillofacial, & Dental Implant Surgery to friends, family that just really put you at the front as the patient, and it's an excellent experience."
"Hi, I'm Karen from Readington. I came to West Jersey Oral, Maxillofacial, & Dental Implant Surgery for a dental implant. When I first walked into the practice, I felt very comfortable. Everybody was welcoming, and they reassured me that everything was going to be fine. My doctor was very good. He explained everything to me, the procedure that was going to be done. He also just made sure I was comfortable. My procedure went very well. The overall experience of this practice was fantastic. It was very important to me to have a healthy smile. I would highly recommend this practice to anybody."
"Hi. I am Luke from Phillipsburg, and I came to West Jersey Oral, Maxillofacial, & Dental Implant Surgery for an extraction. The doctors here were great. They made me feel comfortable. They were easy to talk to, they're real friendly. My procedure went great. It was quick. It was easy, and the recovery was simple. My overall experience here was fantastic. To all my friends and family in Somerset County, Flemington and Somerville. I highly recommend West Jersey Oral, Maxillofacial, & Dental Implant Surgery."
Frequently Asked Questions
Schedule Your Consultation
The first step toward resolving your oral health concerns is a personal consultation with one of our board-certified oral surgeons. Contact our Princeton or Flemington office today to schedule your appointment with our expert team and experience our compassionate, patient-first approach to care.