What is the need for a bone graft before receiving dental implants?
Are you missing a few teeth and looking forward to having dental implants as your replacement? Since eons ago, the dental industry has been addressing missing teeth. While dental implants are an excellent way of restoring teeth, they require adequate jawbone for a successful placement. Luckily there are ways, such as bone grafting, that can restore the volume of your jawbone. For dental implants in Fort Lee, NJ, visit our offices near you and learn how bone grafts increase your viability of getting an implant.
What is Bone Grafting?
Bone grafting is a procedure to add extra bone tissue to strengthen the area that needs a dental implant. The materials used for bone grafting can be synthetic, donated by another person, or from your body. Once the graft is placed, it will integrate with your body and restore the weakened bone. There is no need to live to worry about whether the lack of enough jawbone can negatively impact your need for a dental implant. At So Good Dental, we offer bone grafts to our patients when necessary.
When is it Needed?
Not every dental implant procedure will require a bone graft. If your jawbone and the surrounding area are healthy enough to support a dental implant, you will not require a bone graft procedure. However, several factors can warrant the need for a dental bone graft. Some of them include the following:
Significant Bone Loss
Delaying to replace a missing tooth for too long leads to the shrinking or collapsing of the bone due to lack of stimulation. Just like muscles, our bones require regular stimulation to remain healthy and strong. For example, our jawbone is stimulated whenever we use our teeth to chew or bite food. Unfortunately, this lack of stimulation encourages the jawbone to start deteriorating, making it necessary to need a bone graft before a dental implant procedure.
Location
Some areas in our jaws are likely to have insufficient bone tissues compared to others. Likely the need for an implant in this area isn’t caused by dental disease or missing tooth. For example, if the bottom of your upper sinus is hollow, the surrounding bone tissues don’t have enough bone density to support a dental implant without a bone graft.
Periodontal Disease and Injury
If you have suffered from severe gum disease or injury, your jawbone may shrink or collapse. For this reason, a bone graft will be necessary to recreate and strengthen the jawbone.
To learn more about bone grafts for dental implants, visit our Fort Lee Dental Clinic for more information.
Steps of a Dental Bone Graft Procedure
Before the procedure, the dentist will discuss a detailed treatment plan that includes the bone material to be used when the process is possible. While the bone grafting procedure usually depends on the purpose of the treatment, here is what to expect during yours.
Anesthesia. Local anesthesia will be administered before the procedure begins to numb the surgical site. The type of sedation dentistry to be used will be determined by one’s anxiety level and the procedure’s severity. Therefore, you must raise your concerns to the dentist about the type of anesthesia to be used on you.
Sourcing the Bone. The dentist will begin operating in the chosen location if the bone is sourced from your own body. The dentist will also extract your tooth during this time if there is any. Combining both bone grafting and tooth extraction will encourage faster healing.
Inserting the Graft. During this step, the dentist will clean the targeted site. If you don’t have the extraction procedure, a small incision will be made on your gum to expose the bone. The dentist then attaches the bone graft to the exposed bone.
Stitching. Once the graft is placed, the open area is then sutured closed. The dentist will use plates, pins, cables, or a titanium screw to hold the tissues. If the bone was sourced from your body area will also be stitched.
Recovering. It is recommended that patients plan how the day of the appointment will work out for them. You should arrange for transportation home, especially after receiving sedation dentistry. Take the day off and avoid doing anything to irritate or disrupt the affected area. The healing process may take four to six months or even longer before you are ready for the dental implant. Follow the instructions provided by your dentist for a smooth recovery after receiving bone grafts in Fort Lee.