Dental bone grafting: why do you need it?

Dental bone grafting is the recommended treatment for some reasons, like teeth and gums are not in good health. Additionally, a bone transplant might be necessary to prepare for All on 4 dental implants. You probably have questions if your dentist has already suggested a dental bone graft for you or if you're unsure whether the operation can improve your oral health and hygiene. What are the reasons you are getting bone grafting? How does recovery feel? Of course, the expense of a dental bone graft is another consideration. With those solutions and more, we have you covered.

What is a dental bone graft?

A dental bone graft increases the volume and density of your jaw in areas of bone loss. Moreover, the bone graft material can either come from an animal tissue bank (xenograft) or a human tissue bank (autogenous or allograft). However, sometimes the bone graft material can be synthetic (alloplastic).

Reasons you may need Bone Grafting...

The following are the common reasons you may need a dental bone graft.

• Dental implants for missing teeth

The bone around your adult tooth may recede if it is missing. Hence, it is not possible to restore lost bone mass. Bone grafting can support a future implant and reinforce the area where a tooth is missing.

Bone grafting is necessary to give an implant a firm foundation. Furthermore, dental implants are synthetic roots inserted into the jawbone that resemble screws. Lastly, the implant is covered with a crown that matches the adjacent teeth.

• Gum disease

Dental bone grafting is necessary even if you are not getting an implant to strengthen an area of the jaw that has lost bone due to tooth loss or gum disease. A bone graft stabilizing the jaw can help stop additional bone loss and the long-term health issues that come with it.

Gum disease can cause the jawbone to recede and the teeth to become loose. This occurs due to periodontal misalignment caused by bacteria that gradually erode the jawbone. Untreated gum disease can cause additional tooth loss. Bone grafting can help strengthen and repair the base after gum disease therapy.

• Crooked teeth

It may be challenging to thoroughly clean between your crooked teeth, allowing bacteria to flourish and resulting in gum disease and tooth decay. Periodontitis, an infection that harms bone and teeth, can develop from gum disease. The damaged jawbone will subsequently require bone grafting.

• Defects during development

Some birth abnormalities are indicated by missing teeth, facial bones, or jawbones. A bone graft can help promote growth and function and offer sufficient support for an implant without bone.

• Face trauma or injuries

Trauma to the teeth, such as that caused by teeth grinding or bruxism, can increase pressure on the teeth and erode the tissue that supports the tooth structure. Bone grafting is necessary to stop bone degradation and restore function.

The procedure of dental Bone Grafting

For grafting purposes, doctors also use synthetic bones. For grafting purposes, doctors also use synthetic bones. The grafted bone can be taken from any part of the human body, preferably the hip bone or tibia bone, and then the dentist incises and fits the separated bone into the jawbone. After the procedure, the grafted bone easily holds the missing gaps together and allows the body to heal and tissues to regenerate.

The process for bone grafting is pretty simple; the doctor sedates the patient through anesthesia, after which they cut into the gums, and the tissues are moved aside to make the jawbone visible. Then, after careful disinfection, the separated bone is attached to the slit. The gum tissues are then stitched with the bone in place. In many situations, bone is covered with an additional membrane sheet to ensure protection.

Is dental bone grafting a painful procedure?

It makes sense that fear of pain is the primary worry in patients that require dental work. We have some excellent news for you if this keeps you from considering a dental bone graft.

The first thing you need to be aware of is that general anesthesia will be used during the process, and you'll be kept sedated for the duration. You won't experience any pain or worry during the procedure because of this, of course. You can expect some discomfort as you heal. The majority of the time, over-the-counter painkillers can handle this. If necessary, your surgeon might also prescribe painkillers.

Risks related to Bone Grafting

The common risks of this dental surgery might vary from person to person. Some people do not feel the after-effects, while others suffer from acute to chronic symptoms depending upon the nature of bone grafting. However, the most generic outcomes are:

• Discomfort
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Pain in the jawbone
• Bone particles splintering

To deal with these symptoms, the dentist might prescribe antibiotics and painkillers. The recovery from these signs can be less than a week or as long as a fortnight. But the tissues and jawbone might take months before recovering. If the post-treatment ailment prolongs and the symptoms worsen over time, that is probably an indication of a failed surgery. The probability ratio of failure is minimal, but the results can vary since it is a medical treatment.

Conclusion

Dental bone grafts help to provide enough bone to support dental implants and to prevent the long-term health issues linked to tooth loss and gum disease. Although there is a chance of problems and adverse effects, this routine surgery is typically safe.

Following your doctor's instructions during recovery will reduce the likelihood that you'll experience issues following the surgery and increase your chances of maintaining good dental health.

Contact your Walnut Creek dentist, Massood Darvishzadeh, DDS at Dental Implant Solutions to know more about dental bone grafting.

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Dental Bone Grafting

This media/content or any other on this website does not prescribe, recommend, or prevent any treatment or procedure. Therefore, we highly recommend that you get the advice of a qualified dentist or another medical practitioner regarding your specific dental condition.