Ridge Expansion
Ridge Expansion at Lizaso Family Dentistry
Expanding Your Jaw for a Stronger Implant Foundation
At Lizaso Family Dentistry, we offer ridge expansion to enhance the bone structure of your jaw, especially when there isn’t enough width for dental implants. This procedure is essential for patients who have insufficient bone width to support traditional implants. Ridge expansion helps create space and width in the jawbone, providing a more stable and secure base for your dental implants.
What is Ridge Expansion?
Ridge expansion is a surgical procedure designed to increase the width of the jawbone. If you’ve lost bone tissue in the upper or lower jaw, particularly in the back area, ridge expansion helps restore the proper bone volume to support dental implants. This procedure is often recommended for patients who don’t have enough bone in their jaw to accommodate implants, helping to improve both function and aesthetics.
Benefits of Ridge Expansion
- Increased Implant Stability: Ridge expansion creates sufficient width in the jawbone to securely place dental implants, ensuring long-term implant success.
- Restores Natural Jaw Contours: This procedure helps restore the natural contour of your jaw, improving both the function and appearance of your smile.
- Enables Implant Placement: If you’ve been told you don’t have enough bone to support implants, ridge expansion makes you a more suitable candidate for implant placement.
- Preserves Bone Health: Ridge expansion helps preserve your existing bone and prevents further bone loss, which could lead to more complex issues in the future.
- Improved Aesthetic Outcomes: The procedure enhances the overall appearance of your smile by recreating the width and volume of the jawbone.
How is Ridge Expansion Performed?
Ridge expansion is performed under local anesthesia to ensure you are comfortable throughout the procedure. The surgeon makes small incisions in the gum to access the jawbone. The bone is then gently expanded using specialized tools, and a bone graft is placed to stabilize and support the expanded area. In some cases, a membrane may be used to help guide bone growth. After the procedure, the area is sutured and allowed to heal. Over time, the bone graft will fuse with the existing bone, providing the required width to support dental implants.
What to Expect After Ridge Expansion
The recovery process typically takes a few months to allow the bone graft to integrate with the surrounding tissue. During this time, it’s essential to follow all aftercare instructions to ensure proper healing. Patients may experience mild discomfort, which can usually be managed with over-the-counter pain relievers. After the bone has healed sufficiently, you will be able to proceed with the placement of dental implants.
Achieve the Ideal Foundation for Your Implants
Ridge expansion is an effective solution for patients who don’t have enough jawbone width to support dental implants. By restoring the necessary bone structure, this procedure ensures your implants will be stable and secure for years to come. If you’re interested in ridge expansion or have concerns about your ability to get dental implants, schedule a consultation with us at Lizaso Family Dentistry to learn more about how this procedure can benefit you.
Implant Dentistry
Contact Us
49999 W 8TH AVE #28
Hialeh, FL 33012
Available Treatments
Procedures
Expanding Your Jaw, Restoring Your Smile
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Ridge expansion is necessary when there is insufficient bone width to support dental implants. It helps increase the width of your jawbone, allowing for proper implant placement and long-term stability.
The procedure typically takes 1 to 2 hours, depending on the complexity of the case and the amount of bone expansion needed.
The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, so you will not feel pain during surgery. After the procedure, mild discomfort may occur, but it can usually be managed with over-the-counter pain medication.
Healing time can vary, but typically it takes several months for the bone graft to integrate with the surrounding bone. During this period, you should follow post-operative care instructions to ensure proper healing.
In most cases, ridge expansion requires a healing period before implants can be placed. However, some patients may be eligible for immediate implants, depending on the specifics of the procedure and their overall oral health.
