Dental Implants in Wausau, WI
Placing a dental implant requires the bone in your jaw to have sufficient quality and quantity. If you’ve been missing teeth for a long time or your tooth was lost to advanced periodontal (gum) disease, the bone in your jaw may be too weak to support an implant.
Don’t despair! This doesn’t necessarily mean that you can never have an implant; it simply means that some extra work is needed to build up the bone and make it strong enough to support an implant.
Bone Grafting
This can be done using certain surgical procedures, such as bone grafting. During bone grafting, donor bone is used to restore lost bone. As it heals, your own bone integrates with the donor bone, creating a stable base that can be used to support an implant.
Sometimes anatomy can make placing a dental implant more challenging. For instance, if we are placing an implant in the upper jaw, sinus cavities can sometimes get in the way. This is why we are so careful to use imaging to assess and evaluate your facial anatomy when we are considering implants. If this is true in your case, however, a procedure called a sinus lift could make you a better candidate.
Contact Us
The best way to find out if you are a good candidate for dental implants is to call and schedule an evaluation with Dr. James Kim. He’ll carefully assess your needs and provide you with all your options.