Tooth loss can have various causes: caries, periodontitis, root fractures, and accidents are the most frequent causes.
If lost teeth are not replaced within 3 to 6 months, bone loss may be the result. The amount of bone loss that occurs is individual. If teeth are lost in entire segments of the jaw or even the entire jaw, considerable atrophy of the bone can occur.
The purpose of bone augmentation is to give the implant stable anchorage in the bone. Therefore the implant should be surrounded by at least 2mm of autogenic bone. This way the chewing forces can be accommodated and diverted to the surrounding bone. The golden rule in bone augmentation is the use of autogenic bone taken from the patient’s posterior lower jaw under local anesthesia.
For smaller bone defects there are various bone substitutes used in implantation for bone augmentation.
