Dental Implants are artificial tooth roots that are placed in the jaw to support a dental prosthesis such as a crown (replacement tooth) or bridge. Typically, an implant is a titanium screw, surgically placed into the bone, that by a process called osseointegration forms a bond with the jaw bone. The success of this procedure is remarkably high but ideally the patient needs to have sufficient bone in the location of implant placement and be free of periodontal disease.

Bone grafting procedures are performed when there are deformities in the upper or lower jaw which can leave you with inadequate bone in which to place dental implants. In these situations, the bony defect is corrected by building it up with a bone substitute prior to the implant placement.