in this section:
i-CAT | Tooth Extractions | Wisdom Teeth | Dental Implants | Bone Grafting | Periodontal Procedures |
Orthodontic Exposures | Apicoectomy | Facial Trauma | Orthognathic (Jaw) Surgery | Oral Pathology | Sedation |
Sleep Apnea | Distraction Osteogenesis | TMJ Disorders
Distraction Osteogenesis is a recently developed technique. It involves the sectioning of bones, as in bone grafts and jaw surgery, but the bones are not mobilized as they are with these procedures. After waiting a few days, the sectioned bones are gradually moved to a new location at a slow and conservative rate. The bones bring along tissue and may in some cases increase the width of the bone in the area for dental implants. The bones are then held in place using the same device that moved them for a few weeks. This is the most predictable way to gain height of bone to allow implant placement.
This is usually a minor procedure and Drs. Bluhm, Dorsch and Vandervort can often perform it in the office under IV anesthesia. It may allow shorter and simpler procedures and in some cases may avoid jaw surgery and graft operations.