Pre-implant surgery

Pre-implant analysis

The placement of dental implants requires thorough preparation, which is carried out prior to the operation with the help of examinations such as X-rays, scans etc. The placement of a dental implant can be exposed to the problem of insufficient bone capital in some patients.

In order to guarantee an effective anchorage and durability for the future prosthesis, the implants must be placed in sufficient bone volume. If the bone volume is too low, it can be surgically increased by a bone graft or bone filling.

The grafted bone can either come from the patient: this is the autograft, generally taken from the lower jaw; or from a biomaterial: this is a graft without removal. A preliminary bone assessment is imperative to define the technique, the volume of bone to be reconstructed and whether or not implants should be placed simultaneously.

Bone grafting will only be performed as a last resort, if the shortest dental implants cannot be used. Indeed, the latest scientific and technological advances make it possible to avoid or reduce the use of bone grafts in the majority of cases.

Pre-implant surgery

Generally speaking, there are two types of bone grafts:

Autografts

The bone is taken from the person receiving the graft, usually in the lower jaw, either in the chin or in the lateral parts. We will be able to recover a small block of bone that will be stabilised with a miniscule. This type of graft is called an apposition graft or onlay graft. A period of 6 to 8 months of healing is usually required for the graft to integrate. After that, the dental implants can be placed and the fixation screws usually removed at the same time.

This type of bone grafting can be used to treat extensive bone loss in height and thickness under a simple local anaesthetic. For patients with very significant bone loss and therefore requiring larger grafts, bone can be harvested from the skull or hip. These grafts are the responsibility of maxillofacial surgery. They are performed under general anaesthesia in a hospital.

Non-removal transplants

In this situation, the bone defect is filled with different biomaterials of synthetic, human or animal origin. In all cases, these materials undergo a series of sanitary treatments that guarantee a very high level of safety in their use. The graft is placed in the area where the lack of bone is a problem. Once immobilised, it will gradually guide new bone formation.

This type of bone filling can be combined with the simultaneous or delayed placement of dental implants. A healing period of 4 to 6 months is necessary for optimal consolidation of the graft. This bone filling allows to compensate for small defects and the lack of bone volume in the sinuses: this is the sinus graft or sinus lift.

Sinus-Lift - Bone Filling

In the posterior sectors, in the upper jaw, in edentulous areas, an increase in sinus volume (posterior cavity) at the expense of the bony crest is often encountered

Sinus surgery and dental implants can in some cases be performed in the same session, so that the patient does not have to undergo pre-medication, post-operative consequences and two surgeries twice.

Creation of a flap on the anterior surface of the sinus.
In most cases it is necessary to fill in and increase the bone volume of this space with a substitute, in order to allow a solid and durable anchorage of the dental implants.
When possible, this pre-implant surgery can be performed at the same time as the placement of the dental implants. This considerably reduces the operating time and the duration of the treatment.

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Pre-implant surgery

Pre-implant analysis

Pre-implant surgery

Sinus-Lift - Bone Filling

Contact us today

Every dental challenge has a solution, together we will find the most appropriate one

Make an appointment online