Bone augmentation
Bone augmentation
Targeted build-up of tissue is referred to as augmentation.
The aim of bone augmentation procedures in dentistry is, on the one hand, the reconstruction of lost bony substance, e.g. in the case of periodontal defects (filling of intrabony pockets) or atrophy of the alveolar ridge and, on the other hand, gaining additional bone volume in areas previously without bone, e.g. in the extraction socket (socket preservation) or at the sinus floor (sinus floor augmentation).
Generally, additional (resorbable or non-resorbable) materials are used for augmentation:
This may involve membranes, which are mainly used for protecting the augmentation area against ingrowing mucosa and connective tissue (guided bone regeneration, GBR). Most granulated bone augmentation materials can be synthetic in origin; animal materials are frequently bovine (i.e. cattle) bone. Natural bone often provides crucial structural benefits compared with synthetic materials, such as very high porosity, which facilitates storage of tissue fluids and penetration of newly formed autogenous bone.
In the case of human bone a differentiation is made between autografting (donor is recipient), involving removal of bone from other regions of the jaw or body, and allografting (donor ≠ recipient), i.e. from cadaver bone.
Any foreign tissue must be very thoroughly cleaned of viable tissue (sterilisation, denaturation of proteins, removal of organic components etc.) to exclude the risk of infection.
Some augmentation procedures require a second intervention in a different region and/or at a different time, e.g. to harvest graft material or remove non-resorbable materials or auxiliary devices.
Bone augmentation procedures are often used to prepare for or accompany implant placement to achieve an aesthetic and functionally optimal implant position. In addition to distraction osteogenesis, the gold standard is augmentation using autologous bone in the form of collected bone chips mixed with autologous blood; recently also using bone cells cultivated in a tissue culture (bone tissue engineering), above all in the form of an autologous block graft.
Bone blocks extracted from other regions are secured in position at the required implant site using membranes, pins, screws etc. Typical areas for bone augmentation in the form of an onlay graft are the posterior region of the mandible (compensation of alveolar ridge atrophy) and the anterior region of the maxilla (reinforcing the labial bone lamella).
The anticipated loss of volume of the graft of up to 50% during the healing phase can be compensated for by initially increasing the size of the graft.
While autologous bone heals completely, osteoconductive or osteoinductive foreign materials can often be resorbed only partially and very slowly and remain detectable even after many years.
The success of augmentation can be promoted by the use of growth factors (mainly proteins, hormones), which stimulate bone growth (e.g. BMPs = bone morphogenetic proteins).
Want to give it a try ...
... or need professional advice?
Get in touch with us or click Contact.
Focus text of the month
Fixed restorations are a part of prosthetics. In particular crowns (though they often do not replace a tooth but only supplement the lost tooth structure of an existing tooth) and bridges as well as bar… Fixed restorations are a part of prosthetics. In particular crowns (though they often do not replace a tooth but only supplement the lost tooth structure of an existing tooth) and bridges as well as bar restorations are described as fixed restorations. Implants replace "fixed" tooth roots in the bone but are not defined as fixed restorations. In contrast to removable restorations, fixed restorations are rigidly bonded to teeth or implant abutments using adhesive retention or cementation. Restorations, which are fixed for the patient (e.g. by screw-retention or temporary cementation) but are designed to be removable by the dentist, are called "operator-removable". If restorations, which are removable for the patient, are retained on fixed crowns they are called fixed-removable restorations. A minimum of four periodontally healthy abutments in a favourable alignment (quadrangular) is essential for ensuring stable, statically balanced support per jaw for purely fixed restorations. However, for purely implant-borne fixed restorations in particular, a minimum of six abutments is required in the mandible and even eight abutments in the maxilla due to the lower bone quality. An increase in the number of abutments (e.g. using implants) and also a combination using removable (tissue-borne) restorations can help relieve the natural residual teeth.
Features of fixed restorations are periodontal support on abutments, a rigid, immovable connection with the abutment and the subjective sensation of patients of wearing "their own teeth". Care and repair are more difficult compared with removable versions and extending the restoration is generally impossible – especially in the case of (primary) connections with adjacent single crowns for increasing the stability. This is why the previously generally accepted superiority of fixed restorations should be qualified according to each individual case. A fixed restoration is not only impossible in edentulous cases but also with implants if, as a result of massive bone resorption, the distance between the alveolar ridge level and occlusal plane is too large, which would lead to an excessively forceful leverage effect. Fixed restorations can be fabricated provisionally (temporary; generally using acrylic and rarely from metal or ceramic), e.g. for testing a new occlusal relationship or for bridging the time required for fabrication of the permanent restoration or other treatment. Individual components of fixed restorations can be prefabricated (e.g. attachments, other connectors or implant abutments); these can remain unchanged or they can be customised. Final (permanent) fixed restorations are fabricated either from a single material, combinations of materials or by joining different materials using very different procedures, e.g. casting, milling, soldering, welding, grinding, sintering (CAD-CAM), pressing or electroforming. Temporary luting (short, medium or long-term) can be used for trying in fixed restorations. |
Pontic 42, labial view of single-winged bridge
Pontic 42, clinical view of single-winged bridge