Bone regeneration
There are cases in which implantology operations are not possible due to a lack of sufficient bone: bone regeneration is the surgical branch of specialisation that involves the use of different new bone tissue construction techniques, to enable the fitting of stable dental implants, thus creating good functional/aesthetic conditions.
In what cases is it applied?
Where there is a need to increase the volume of the bone, very often in conditions of lack of teeth for long periods.
This type of intervention is also indicated in cases of moderate-severe periodontitis, where bone retraction can also lead to mobility and consequent loss of teeth.
What techniques exist?
They are numerous, but let’s highlight a few:
1. Small maxillary sinus lift:
Used in the upper jaw, it is applied when the bone missing from the placement of the implants is small and in correspondence with the “maxillary sinus”, a hollow area near the cheekbone.
The regenerative intervention almost always occurs at the same time as the insertion of the implant in the desired position and may involve the use of new bone and biomembranes.
It is performed under local anesthesia and does not cause pain to the patient.
After the operation, the biological times of approximately 4 months are expected for the osseointegration of the implant (the regrowth of the bone around the threads of the “titanium screw”) and, as soon as it is completely reliable and stable, the prosthesis is carried out , i.e. to the application of the tooth.
2. Large elevation of the maxillary sinus
The large maxillary sinus lift is a more complex technique than the previous one and is used when the quantity of bone tissue to be regenerated is greater.
After the surgery, we wait a few months for the bone to regenerate correctly in order to be able to apply future dental prostheses.
In some cases the implants are stabilized at the same time as this bone regenerative technique.
3. Computer guided GBR (Bone Regeneration Guide)
This is a surgical technique often used in the lower arch which serves to regenerate missing bone structures.
In this technique, membranes are used together with filling materials in order to fill all those areas with defects with “missing bone”.
In some cases, custom made titanium meshes are used, in these situations the membrane is replaced with a titanium grid previously studied on a virtual computer reconstruction and then “printed” and applied; in this case the advantage consists in the application of devices previously designed and perfectly personalized for the specific patient.
Custom made grids can be created based on a digital design starting from the patient’s CT scan to compensate for individual bone defects with absolute precision.
This significantly reduces the invasiveness of the procedure with a significant reduction in intraoperative and recovery times.
This procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and under local anesthesia and, patients who wish, can benefit from conscious sedation which makes the experience absolutely simple to deal with.
Our studio
The Dental@Med studio collaborates with Dr. Valerio Ramieri, a surgeon with a PhD in maxillofacial surgery, who is an expert in bone regeneration.
Contact us if you want to evaluate the possibility of undergoing this treatment together with our Clinicians.
