PTES
If a dentist has already told you there is "not enough bone" and nothing more can be done, know that this is rarely true. There are options — and one of them can be custom-made for your case.
I want an evaluationUnderstand the Problem
After the loss of one or more teeth, the bone in the mandible or maxilla begins to resorb — a natural process called bone atrophy. The longer you go without a tooth, the more bone is lost. Periodontal disease, trauma, long-term use of removable dentures, and certain tumors also accelerate this process.
A conventional dental implant needs a minimum amount of surrounding bone to stay firmly in place. When that volume no longer exists, many dentists conclude that "there is no solution" — but that is only the answer for the standard implant, not for every possible treatment.
Not having enough bone for a conventional implant does not mean there is no treatment. It means the treatment needs to be a different one.
Every case is evaluated individually by a surgeon, but in general these are the most widely used alternatives today:
Adds bone (from the patient, a tissue bank, or synthetic material) before placing the implant. It requires an extra surgery and months of waiting for the bone to consolidate.
Uses membranes and biomaterials to stimulate the body to form new bone in areas of moderate loss.
Anchors the implant in the zygomatic (cheek) bone, which usually preserves volume even when the maxilla is severely resorbed. Indicated for specific maxillary cases.
Digitally designed from your CT scan and printed in grade 5 titanium, it adapts to the bone you still have — even in cases of severe loss considered "unsolvable" with conventional treatment.
While the graft tries to recreate the bone that was lost, the patient-specific plate is designed to work with the bone that remains. Planning is done in 3D software from the patient's CT scan, the surgeon approves the design before fabrication, and the piece comes out printed in titanium — ready to fit without improvisation during surgery.
In practice, this usually means fewer surgeries, a more predictable recovery, and the possibility of treatment in cases that have already been turned away by other clinics for lack of bone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. A traditional implant needs a minimum amount of bone to be anchored. But when that bone doesn't exist, there are alternatives — a bone graft, a zygomatic implant, or a patient-specific titanium plate.
Bone grafting, guided bone regeneration, zygomatic implants, and the patient-specific titanium plate, planned from your CT scan and 3D-printed to adapt to the remaining bone.
In many cases, yes. Because it is custom-made, it eliminates the grafting stage in a large share of cases, reducing the number of surgeries and the total treatment time.
A certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon or implant dentist, based on your CT scan. We refer you to a professional in our network to evaluate your case at no cost.
Fill out the referral form and our team will connect you with a certified surgeon near you, at no cost.