Osteodistraction – Jawbone Lengthening
at Woodbury Dental and Laser Clinic in Kent
Sufficient jaw bone quality is essential in the successful placement of dental implants; without good jaw bone quality and structure, it will be nearly impossible (or at the very least, extremely difficult) for the placement of dental implants to be done. Jaw lengthening or osteodistraction is one of the procedures used by the dentist at Woodbury Dental and Laser Clinic in Kent to improve the quality of the jaw bone, in preparation for dental implant placement.
What is Osteodistraction?
Osteodistraction is a surgical procedure that is used in dentistry to lengthen the jaw bone, and to correct any deformities that are present in the jaw bone area; osteodistraction by the dentist at Woodbury Dental and Laser Clinic in Kent is necessary in cases when the quality of the jaw bone needs to be improved (or lengthened), to make it possible for dental implants to be placed with ease. The osteodistraction technique is commonly used by maxillofacial surgeons and the dentist at Woodbury Dental and Laser Clinic in Kent to address the issues of midface, micrognathia, and fronto-orbital hypoplasia of patients with deformities in the jaw bone.
Jawbone lengthening is used as an alternative to other procedures that are done to improve or augment the structure and quality of the jaw bone, such as a bone grafting procedure.
Osteodistraction is also used by the dentist at Woodbury Dental and Laser Clinic in Kent to correct the positioning of the dental implants, in cases when the previous placement needs to be improved or corrected for the implant to be used successfully by the patient.
ACE Surgical’s OGD(TM) (OsteoGenic Distractor) System
The ACE Surgical’s OGD(TM) (OsteoGenic Distractor) System is used by the dentists at Woodbury Dental and Laser clinic in Kent for osteodistraction. This particular system can be used to improve the length of a patient’s alveolar ridges without having to perform a bone grafting procedure.
Jaw Lengthening Procedure through Osteodistraction
The unique OGD(TM) System uses distraction osteogenesis principles to facilitate the bone lengthening procedure; this process is a streamlined surgical procedure that resembles the insertion of a standard screw type dental implant.
In certain cases, the OGD(TM) System can also be used to improve the length of an area between opposing teeth using a single OGD(TM) device, or a definite regional span using multiple OGD(TM) devices.
When the desired lengthening of the jaw bone area is achieved (where the dental implants are planned to be placed), the OGD(TM) device can be easily removed and replaced with a standard screw type dental implant – this is to take full advantage of the newly integrated, and improved, bone structure in the affected jaw bone area.
There are two sizes that can be used in the OGD(TM) System: the 3.75mm and 4.0mm thread, and two thread engagement body lengths; the 3mm Short Body and 5mm Long Body. All of the OGD(TM) devices are designed with a 1.75mm polished healing collar to enable the dentist at Woodbury Dental and Laser Clinic in Kent to access the distraction area that needs to be treated without having to open the surgical site for a second time.
The OGD(TM) System uses a variety of distraction pins to obtain optimal improvement of the osteogenic bone mass – between 1.0mm and 16.0mm. All of the OGD(TM) components are created with high precision from high strength, biocompatible Titanium (Ti-6Al-4V ELI).
The Osteodistraction Advantage
The lengthening of the jawbone or osteodistraction is beneficial in creating new, healthy bone for the patient. The new and improved jawbone structure or mass will provide a secure base where dental implants can be placed without difficulties, enabling the dentist at Woodbury Dental and Laser Clinic in Kent to go through the dental implants placement successfully without the difficulties that are associated with jaw bone ridges that are too thin, or lacking in height. Osteodistraction will ensure that the implants will be provided with enough healthy bone to ensure secure attachment.
Jawbone lengthening or osteodistraction is also beneficial in cases when the placement of dental implants needs to be improved, or when the placement of the implants needs to be corrected to prevent further complications for the patient with long-term dental implant use.