Bone Grafting and Platelet-Rich Plasma
Tucson Bone Grafting & Platelet-Rich Plasma Procedures
The principal limiting factor in placing implants is the amount of available bone support for each implant. Frequently the bone is damaged during the process of a tooth being lost, and the bone where a tooth used to be tends to shrink over time after the tooth is lost. Even so, the process of bone grafting, regenerating real bone where we need it in order to place a perfect implant, has undergone amazing advancements in recent years. It is the rare exception when we find that it just isn't feasible to do the implants that our patients want.
One of the most exciting advances is our ability to use platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to enhance the healing potential of bone grafts. This entails drawing some blood (20cc, which for those of you who give blood is just 1/25 of a 'unit'), and then using a centrifuge to spin the blood down to get 2cc of PRP. And we do this right in the same room as the surgery. In addition to clotting factors, platelets have growth and healing factors that jump-start the healing process. One bit of good news coming from our patients who have PRP procedures is that the accelerated initial healing response also results in a comfortable postoperative period. Sometimes we are able to use your own bone harvested during the procedure from within the same surgical site, and sometimes we use sterilized bone from a fully accredited tissue bank. Within 12 months, whatever bone we see on a radiograph is your own bone, as the grafting material is completely resorbable, being replaced by new bone that is completely "yours.".
These are very exciting times wherein the treatment plan, what we do for you, is determined by what you want. Obviously, the best option is to manage the loss of a tooth in a fashion that minimizes the need for grafting. And, if you want to replace a missing tooth with an implant-supported crown, we can almost always make that happen. Call us for a consultation to discuss your options for replacing a missing (or soon-to-be-missing) tooth or teeth.