Bone Grafts for Dental Implants
Dental implants are a permanent solution to missing teeth but they may be impossible to get if you don’t have sufficient amount of bone in your jaw to provide the necessary support. Research indicates that many people who lose a tooth tend to lose the bone that serves as a base as well. A bone graft prepares your jaw for dental implants as it provides the support needed to make the implants both stabilized and secure. At BrightCrafts Dental, bone graft for dental implants is a standard and common clinical procedure we perform on our patients.
What is bone graft for dental implants?
✓ A bone graft for dental implants is a procedure performed to increase the amount of bone at the implant site (where the dental implants need to be placed.)
✓ It aims to add bone to the jaw, thus providing structural support for implants to be held in place.
✓ When a person loses a tooth, there’s a great chance that they may suffer bone loss.
✓ The longer the tooth is lost, the more bone tissue at the affected area diminishes.
In most cases, as much as 25% of bone loss occurs in the first year of tooth loss.
✓ In other words, bone loss occurs every day the tooth is missing.
✓ The good news is that we can take bone tissue from another site in your mouth or body and transplant it the implant site so dental implants can be done.
✓ In some instances, the bone graft material may be sourced via other means but the end goal is to get your dental implants fixed securely and comfortably.
Bone grafts refer to the materials used in preventing or augmenting bone after loss. Below are the four sources of material for the graft.
✓ Autografts: An autograft refers to the type of bone graft where the bone material is taken from one site of your body (such as the chin, back of the jaw or the hip) and moved to another. It is the only type of bone grafts that require two surgical sites on your body. The advantage here is that there is less risk of the body rejecting the bone.
✓ Allografts: This involves the use of laboratory-processed bone material taken from another human. This is similar to autograft with the exception being that it’s donated by another person.
✓ Xenografts: This is where the bone graft material is gotten from an animal. In most instances, this type of bone grafts is sourced from cows.
✓ Alloplasts: This type of graft uses synthetic (man-made) materials to mimic human bone. It also stimulates natural bone formation in the jaw.
Bone grafts for dental implants procedure – what to expect
✓ On your first visit, we carry out an oral examination to assess the condition of your mouth. If the bone loss is significant, we may perform a bone graft procedure. It starts with administering anesthetic to prevent any discomfort while your vital signs are monitored throughout.
✓ We clean and disinfect the target area. Then we make an incision through the gum tissue to expose the area. Next, we take a bone from another site of your body or a bone material gotten from other sources and graft it onto your jaw bone where it’s needed. It is then secured with a dissolvable adhesive material or membrane or with special screws.
✓ Finally the gum tissue is repositioned and the incision is closed with stitches to begin healing. You may experience some pain after the procedure but you should feel normal within a week or two. Complete healing can take between three and nine months.
Who is a candidate for bone grafts for dental implants?
If you have missing tooth and the amount of bone in your jaw is incapable of supporting dental implants, you may be a good candidate for bone grafting. Other dental conditions that may require bone grafts include:
✓ Many Development defects
✓ Gum disease
✓ Cancer
✓ Face injury or trauma
✓ Empty space after tooth was removed
How painful is a dental bone graft?
Contrary to what many people think, bone grafts for dental implants are not painful at all. We perform this procedure at our office regularly. You will be sedated during the procedure so you don’t feel any pain or discomfort while we work on you. When the anesthetic wears off, you may experience mild pain and soreness but we prescribe over-the-counter pain relievers for the next few days.
Request a consultation
Jaw bone loss doesn’t have to stand in the way of you getting dental implants. If you think you have bone loss or deterioration, bone grafts can help! If you would like to know more about bone grafts for dental implants or you’d like to begin the process, schedule a consultation with us today at BrightCrafts Dental.
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What to do next?
If you are considering a dental implant, we recommend that you make an appointment to talk to one of our consultants and discuss the best options for you.
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