Hi, I’m Dr Michael Cai, the principal dentist of Pitt St Dental Centre here in Sydney CBD.
Yesterday, I was with one of our new patients, Brad from Cremorne. He has had a few missing teeth for several years. However, because they have been impacting his speech and function, not to mention his smile, he now decided to do something about it.
During your implant consultation appointment, we will use a 3D Cone Beam CT scan to analyse your bone quantity and quality. The data from the scan is merged with implant planning software so we can determine the exact amount of bone that is required for your case.
In some cases, there may be enough bone to support the implant without needing a bone graft. However, a bone graft may be necessary if there is insufficient bone quantity.
During a bone graft procedure, the dentist may take bone from another area of your jaw or use other bone graft material to build up the bone in your jaw.
If only a minor bone graft is required, the bone graft procedure is done simultaneously with dental implant placement. However, If an extensive bone graft is required, in that case, the bone graft needs to be completed 3-6 months before dental implant placement, as the bone needs time to fuse with your existing bone and create a solid foundation for the implant.
To summarise, careful implant planning is required to indicate whether a bone graft is needed in each case. However, the procedure has an excellent outcome, and the procedure can be completed with minimum discomfort with modern anaesthetic and pain control techniques.
Here at Pitt Street Dental Centre, we offer flexible payment plans, so if you or anyone you know have a missing tooth, a few missing teeth or even all the teeth, we would love to help.
Simply call us on +61 2 8000 1832, complete the booking form on our website, or send us a DM on social media, and we’ll be in touch to help you organise your consultation. See you soon.
