Do You Need Ridge Augmentation Before Dental Implant Placement?

While you may be eager to get your dental implant to replace a missing tooth, your dentist might recommend preparatory procedures first, such as bone grafting. Although this procedure might lengthen the process, it's vital to have a strong jawbone so that the implant is well-supported and lasts a lifetime. Another procedure your dentist may recommend is an Alveoloplasty, or ridge augmentation. Some patients may be confused about why this procedure is needed for dental implants; read on to learn more.

Is Ridge Augmentation the Same as a Bone Graft?

Some patients may be confused about ridge augmentations because a dentist can often perform them at the same bone graft-placement appointment. Grafts are what's specifically placed in the jaw to increase bone density, and grafts can be taken from other areas of the body, like the hip bone—from donors, or from synthetic sources. Ridge augmentation is a procedure where the dentist uses instruments to shape the alveolar ridge, or the jawbone which holds your teeth.

Dentists try to pack the graft into the jawbone in such a way that it restores both the original height and width of the jawbone, but the graft may integrate in such a way that's not ideal for implants, which is where ridge augmentation comes in.

What Is the Procedure Like?

As previously mentioned, some ridge augmentations are performed during graft placement. For instance, if you need to have a tooth extracted, your dentist might pack the empty socket with a graft and then reshape the tissue before closing the sutures. If ridge augmentation needs to be performed at a later date, then a dentist will reopen the gum tissue to access the jaw bone. A dentist might use a handheld dental drill and/or burr to shape the tissue. Some patients may be nervous about jaw augmentation, but this procedure can be done with local anesthesia/nitrous oxide for mild cases and IV sedation for more lengthy appointments. Similar to an extraction appointment, you will have to follow some aftercare instructions—like eating soft foods—while you heal for a few weeks.

Who Needs this Procedure?

Only your dentist can tell you whether you need this procedure, but ridge augmentations tend to be more likely if you have a complicated case. If you only need to replace one tooth or you haven't been missing your teeth for a long time, you may not necessarily need a ridge augmentation. When teeth are missing for a long time, bone tissue tends to atrophy, which of course, changes the shape of the jaw; so if you've been missing teeth for a long time or you need to get multiple implants placed, then you may need a ridge augmentation. Ridge augmentations can restore the aesthetics of the jaw, but they also help prepare the jaw's height and width so that there are ideal conditions for implant placement. Ridge augmentations are especially important for people with implant-supported dentures. Not only does the augmentation improve the implant success rates, but it can prevent ill-fitting dentures and gum tissue pressure points.

Reach out to a dentist today to learn more about dental implants and related procedures. 

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