(505) 292-8555 or 1 (800) 235-6484

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(505) 292-8555 or 1 (800) 235-6484

Book an appointment

Albuquerque Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Dentoalveolar

bone grafting in albuquerque

Bone Grafting

Bone grafting can repair potential implant sites with inadequate bone structure due to previous extractions, gum disease or injuries. The bone is obtained from a tissue bank, or your own bone is taken from the jaw, hip or tibia (below the knee.) Sinus bone grafts are also performed to replace bone in the posterior upper jaw. In addition, special membranes may be utilized that ultimately dissolve under the gum tissue, protect the bone graft and encourage bone regeneration. This is called guided bone regeneration or guided tissue regeneration.
Major bone grafts are typically performed to repair large defects in the jaws. These defects may arise as a result of traumatic injuries, tumor surgery, or congenital defects. Large defects are best repaired using the patient’s own bone. This bone is harvested from a number of different sites depending on the size of the defect. The hip (iliac crest) and lateral knee (tibia) are common donor sites. 

  • Sinus Lift

    The maxillary sinuses are behind your cheeks and directly above your upper teeth. Sinuses are like empty rooms that have nothing in them. Some of the roots of the natural upper teeth extend up into the maxillary sinuses. When these upper teeth are removed there is often just a thin wall of bone separating the maxillary sinus and the mouth.

    Dental implants need adequate bone to hold them in place. When the sinus wall is very thin it is impossible to place dental implants in such bone.

    There is a solution and it’s called a sinus graft or sinus lift graft. The dental implant surgeon enters the sinus from where the upper teeth used to be. The sinus membrane is then lifted upward and donor bone is inserted into the floor of the sinus. Keep in mind that the floor of the sinus is the roof of the upper jaw.

    After several months of healing, the bone becomes part of the patient’s jaw and dental implants can be inserted and stabilized in this new sinus bone.

    The sinus graft makes it possible for many patients to have dental implants when, years ago, there was no other option other than wearing loose dentures. If enough bone between the upper jaw ridge and the bottom of the sinus is available to stabilize the implant well, sinus augmentation and implant placement can sometimes be performed as a single procedure. If enough bone is not available, the Sinus Augmentation will have to be performed first, and the graft will have to mature for several months, depending upon the type of graft material used. Once the graft has matured, the implants can be placed.

  • Exposure of an Impacted Tooth

    An impacted tooth simply means that it is “stuck” and cannot erupt into function. Patients frequently develop problems with impacted third molar (wisdom) teeth. These teeth get “stuck” in the back of the jaw and can develop painful infections, among a host of other problems (see “Wisdom Teeth” under Procedures). Since there is rarely a functional need for wisdom teeth, they are usually extracted if they develop problems. The maxillary cuspid (upper cuspid tooth) is the second most common tooth to become impacted. The cuspid tooth is a critical tooth in the dental arch and plays an important role in your “bite.” The cuspid teeth are very strong biting teeth that have the longest roots of any human teeth. They are designed to be the first teeth that touch when your jaws close together, so they guide the rest of the teeth into the proper bite.
    Normally, the maxillary cuspid teeth are the last of the “front” teeth to erupt into place. They usually come into place around age 13 and cause any space left between the upper front teeth to close tightly together. If a cuspid tooth gets impacted, every effort is made to get it to erupt into its proper position in the dental arch. The techniques involved to aid eruption can be applied to any impacted tooth in the upper or lower jaw, but most commonly they are applied to the maxillary cuspid (upper cuspid) teeth. 60% of these impacted cuspid teeth are located on the palatal (roof of the mouth) side of the dental arch. The remaining impacted cuspid teeth are found in the middle of the supporting bone but stuck in an elevated position above the roots of the adjacent teeth or out to the facial side of the dental arch.
    Early recognition of impacted cuspid teeth is the key to successful treatment:
    The older the patient, the more likely an impacted cuspid tooth will not erupt by nature’s forces alone, even if the space is available for the tooth to fit in the dental arch. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that a panorex screening x-ray along with a dental examination be performed on all dental patients at around 7 years of age to count the teeth and determine if there might be problems with eruption of the adult teeth. It is important to determine whether all the adult teeth are present or if some adult teeth are missing.
    Are there extra teeth present or unusual growths that are blocking the eruption of the cuspid tooth? Is there extreme crowding or too little space available, causing an eruption problem with the cuspid tooth? This exam is usually performed by your oral surgeon or general dentist, who will refer you to an orthodontist if a problem is identified. Treating such a problem may involve an orthodontist placing braces to open spaces to allow for proper eruption of the adult teeth. Treatment may also require a referral to an oral surgeon for extraction of over-retained baby teeth and/or selected adult teeth that are blocking the eruption of the all-important cuspid teeth. The oral surgeon will also need to remove any extra teeth (supernumerary teeth) or growths that are blocking the eruption of any of the adult teeth. If the eruption path is cleared and the space is opened up by age 11 or 12, there is a good chance that the impacted cuspid tooth will erupt with nature’s help alone.
    If the cuspid tooth is allowed to develop too long (age 13-14), the impacted cuspid tooth will not erupt by itself even with the space cleared for its eruption. If the patient is too old (over 40), there is a much higher chance the tooth will be fused in position. In these cases, the tooth will not budge despite all the efforts of the orthodontist and oral surgeon to erupt it into place. Sadly, the only option at this point is to extract the impacted tooth and consider an alternate treatment to replace it in the dental arch (crown on a dental implant or a fixed bridge).

  • Pre-Prosthetic Surgery

    The preparation of your mouth before the placement of a prosthesis is referred to as pre-prosthetic surgery. 
    Some patients require minor oral surgical procedures before receiving a partial or complete denture in order to ensure the maximum level of comfort. A denture sits on the bone ridge so it is very important that the bone is the proper shape and size. If a tooth needs to be extracted, the underlying bone might be left sharp and uneven. For the best fit of a denture, the bone might need to be smoothed out or reshaped. Occasionally, excess bone might need to be removed prior to denture insertion. 
    One or more of the following procedures might need to be performed in order to prepare your mouth for a denture:
    ● bone smoothing and reshaping (Alveoplasty).● removal of excess bone (Torus Reduction).● bone ridge reduction.● removal of excess gum tissue (Gingivectomy).● exposure of impacted teeth.
    We will review your particular needs with you during your appointment. 

  • Pathology

    The inside of the mouth is normally lined with a special type of skin (mucosa) that is smooth and coral-pink in color. Any alteration in this appearance could be a warning sign for a pathological process. The most serious of these is oral cancer. The following can be signs at the beginning of a pathologic process or cancerous growth:

    ● Reddish patches (erythroplasia) or whitish patches (leukoplakia) in the mouth.
    ● A sore that fails to heal and bleeds easily.
    ● A lump or thickening on the skin lining the inside of the mouth.
    ● Chronic sore throat or hoarseness.
    ● Difficulty in chewing or swallowing.

    These changes can be detected on the lips, cheeks, palate and gum tissue around the teeth, tongue, face and/or neck. Pain does not always occur with pathology and is not often associated with oral cancer. However, any patient with facial and/or oral pain without an obvious cause or reason may also be at risk for oral cancer.

    We recommend performing an oral cancer self-examination monthly and remember that your mouth is one of your body's most important warning systems. Do not ignore suspicious lumps or sores. Please contact us so we may help.

dental Services

Explore Other Procedures

Learn more about several of our commonly performed procedures.

dental implants in Albuquerque

Dental Implants

Dental implants have become the standard of care for replacing lost teeth.

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wisdom teeth in Albuquerque

Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom Teeth may grow in sideways, partially emerge from the gum and even remain trapped beneath the gum in the bone.

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tmj surgery in Albuquerque

TMJ Surgery

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders are a debilitating problem for many people. It can be difficult to diagnose accurately.

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Facial Trauma

Types of facial injuries can range from damaged teeth to extremely severe injuries of the skin and bones of the face.

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anesthesia in Albuquerque

Anesthesia

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are unique among the surgical specialties with regards to anesthesia training.

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