Michigan Dental Implant Patient Seeks Guidance From Southfield Periodontist

Patient Question: I have been missing a tooth in the back upper right area for quite a while and would like to have it replaced. I would prefer not to have to cap the teeth on either side so an implant seems like the way to go. I was told I would need to "grow bone" in that area. How is that possible?

Anonymous, Farmington Hills, MI

Answer: It sounds like what your doctor is concerned about is getting enough bone in the area requiring the implant. Sometimes when an implant is needed in the posterior areas of the maxilla (upper jaw bone), the sinus cavities get in the way. The sinus is nothing more than a space for air, but if the sinus is very large, it minimizes the amount of bone available to secure an implant; therefore, we need to grow bone.

The procedure, called a sinus augmentation or sinus lift, involves raising a small amount of the membrane lining the sinus (like the membrane inside an egg shell) and filling the empty space with a bone grafting material. We then let this bone grow or mature for approximately six months. At that point the patient will most likely have grown enough bone to support the implant.

Have a similar question? Contact the Michigan Dental Implant Specialists at Joseph R. Nemeth, DDS & Associates at 248.357.3100. Our team of Doctors, Hygienists, Assistants and Business staff are all highly knowledgable in the fields of Periodontics and Dental Implants and will be pleased to answer any and all of your questions or address any concerns. Submit your question online at http://www.drnemeth.com/patientinfo_asktheperiodontist.html.