How does a dental bone graft work?

Using an X-ray to measure bone loss and personalize a treatment plan, your dentist examines your teeth, gums, and jaw.

To ensure comfort, your dentist will apply Local or general anesthesia.

Your dentist will gently expose the jawbone to add the bone graft.

If an autograft is used, your dentist will have a small piece of bone from another part of the patient’s body, such as the hip or the tibia.

The bone graft is then placed into the jaw and covered with a membrane, like a band-aid, for protection and healing.

Your dentist then sutures to close the gum over the graft. Within two weeks, your dentist will remove the sutures but keep the membrane in place to protect the graft. The membrane will dissolve on its own in more than a month.

Different Types of Dental Bone Grafts

The procedures used in bone grafting are essential for successful dental implant placements and for preserving jawbone integrity. Here are the different types of dental bone grafts:

Socket Preservation

Adding the bone graft into the tooth socket supports bone growth and maintains its form. This preservation is important to ensure future dental implant placements and aesthetic factors.

Sinus Lift Procedure

The sinus lift procedure is providing bone below the sinus to place dental implants. It provides enough bone height for proper inline dental implant installation to overcome this problem of loss in body structure.

Ridge Expansion

When the width of a jawbone threatens implant stability, ridge expansion is recommended. This method entails precise division and careful expansion of the bone ridge, inserting graft material afterward. It significantly improves the basis, providing stable and successful implant placement.

Nerve Repositioning

In case of missing teeth in the lower jaw, with insufficient bone height that can not support an implant. One standard procedure performed during lower jawbone surgery is nerve repositioning. It entails subtly handling the inferior alveolar nerve to enable dental implant placement. This accuracy prevents nerve damage, protects sensation from the lower lip and chin region, and ensures dental implant procedures.

Bone grafting for dental implants

It becomes critically important when bone resorption can pose a threat to the stability of an implant. The advantages of bone grafting encompass the following:

• Reinforcement for implants.
• Improved aesthetic outcomes.
• Higher success rates of dental implants.

 However, several critical considerations must be addressed:

• The patient’s bone health.
• The source of the graft material.
• Potential infection risks.
• The prolonged period of graft healing to integrate with the patient’s bone structure.

What is after a dental bone graft?

Your dentist will provide instructions and medications to lower the chances of experiencing mild pain, swelling, and bruising. Over-the-counter pain relievers are beneficial, and antibiotics may be prescribed.

Also, your dentist will confirm that following oral hygiene plays a significant role in healing and infection prevention. your dentist will recommend:

• Using softToothbrushing
• Avoiding disturbing graft by spitting
• Avoid touching by fingers or tongue.
• Soft diet

Do you have to be sedated for a tooth bone graft?

The use of local anesthesia is usually recommended for minor grafts, while sedation or general anesthetic may be preferred for extensive operations to improve the comfort level in patients.

Where can I get bone grafting in Philadelphia?

In Philadelphia, patients requiring bone grafting can access services in dental clinics and implant centers. Try to find experienced, board-certified oral surgeons or periodontists who have shown success in grafting procedures. Consider clinic accreditations and the use of advanced technologies.

For more information about bone grafts and dental implants, contact us at (215) 996-7030 today or visit our website to schedule a consultation at our cosmetic dentistry clinic in Philadelphia.