Bone grafting is an essential procedure before fitting dental implants for people with an insufficient jawbone to hold the implants. Dental implant placement is directly into the jawbone, so you need enough bone to hold your implants in place for a successful procedure. You won’t have a solid base for dental implants without enough jawbone.
A bone graft procedure is surgery for replacing bone surrounding a tooth root, giving you enough natural jawbone to hold a dental implant. Your dentist can take the material for the bone graft from another part of the jaw or another body part. In some cases, the dentist will use a synthetic material.
Unlike other body tissues, the bones regenerate under the right conditions. With a graft, bone regeneration can occur, helping to hold existing teeth and implants. Over time, your surrounding bone will grow and fuse with the implant material.
When the site surrounding the bone graft heals, you can have the surgery to place the implant.
An initial consultation before the dental implant procedure is important. The assessment during this consultation will help the dentist advise you if you need a bone graft. People have insufficient bone to hold implants for several reasons, and you may need a bone graft for any of these reasons.
You can undergo bone grafting at a local dental practice under local anaesthesia, but your dentist may administer a sedative if you have dental anxiety.
If you need a large graft, your dental professional may surgically graft the bone from another body part, like your shin or hip. In this case, a general anaesthetic is necessary, and the procedure will be in a hospital.
Your surgeon or dentist will lift your gum tissue from the affected area, place the bone graft, secure it, and stitch your gum over the graft. This procedure takes about 60 – 90 minutes.
Bone grafting may seem complicated, but it is a common procedure, and your dental professional will inform you of the process and address your concerns.
The dentist will remove your stitches after a week. Depending on the grafting procedure, it usually takes 3 – 9 months for the graft to grow into the natural bone (osseointegration). After osseointegration occurs, you can fit the implants.
After the bone graft procedure, your surgeon will inform you how to care for the graft. The success rate for bone graft procedures is high when carried out by an experienced dental professional. Adhering to the aftercare instruction will also reduce the risk of graft failure.
Like other surgical procedures, getting a bone graft will cause some discomfort, but the pain won’t isn’t more than a tooth extraction procedure. Ibuprofen and paracetamol can help manage the pain, but your dentist may prescribe anti-inflammatories and antibiotics.
Your dentist can use bone material from these sources.
Bone Graft Cost depend on your needs. Your dental professional will thoroughly access your dental health during your initial consultation to determine the exact cost of your bone graft procedure. You can also ask questions concerning the procedure during your consultation.
Different methods for bone grafting are available. They include:
Several types of bone grafts are available. They include: