Bone Grafts and Dental Implants

UT Southwestern Medical Center’s oral surgeons are recognized experts in dental implantation and bone grafting. Our experienced team is skilled in diagnosing and treating all types of conditions that can necessitate these procedures.

Expert Treatment of Common Dental Problems

Dental implants replace damaged or missing teeth with natural-looking crowns that are attached to metal, screw-like posts. They preserve natural bone and help to stimulate bone growth.

UT Southwestern’s state-of-the-art oral surgery technologies and procedures restore both function and appearance to people with tooth and bone loss. Surgeons from Asia, Europe, and South America have visited our renowned Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic to observe and learn from the advancements we've made.

Benefits of Dental Implants

Until fairly recently, dentures and dental bridges were the only treatment options for patients with missing teeth. Dental implants offer a third, permanent solution to tooth loss.

In dental implantation, tiny titanium posts are surgically implanted into the jaw bone where teeth are missing. These posts protrude slightly through the gums so that artificial teeth can be attached to them. The bone bonds with the titanium, creating a stable foundation similar to tooth roots.

There are several benefits of tooth implants:

• Unlike dentures or bridges, dental implants are integrated into the bone, so they do not slide, click, or shift while someone is talking or eating.
• Implants stimulate the jaw bone, which helps prevent bone deterioration and preserves facial structure.
• Tooth implantation usually requires only one in-office surgical procedure.
• Patients can smile with confidence, eat virtually anything, and know their implanted teeth look natural.

Many patients don’t have enough jaw bone to accommodate dental implants. In these cases, bone is added with grafting – either a sinus lift or ridge augmentation – before the dental implants are placed.

Bone grafting is the implantation of tiny pieces of bone in an area with bone deterioration. It’s used in oral surgery not only to prepare some jaws for dental implants but also to repair bone damaged through injury, infection, or tumors.

With extensive bone grafting experience and the use of the latest surgical techniques, UT Southwestern’s oral surgeons are able to add bone exactly where it’s needed.