Bone Grafting For Dental Implants: What To Expect
Posted on: 19 February 2015
If you've lost an adult tooth or are at risk of losing one (due to advanced gum disease), then you may want to check with your dentist to see if you're a viable candidate for dental implants. After all, dental implants are the best way to restore the look and feel of your lost tooth using a prosthetic one. For those with significant jaw bone loss, however, it may be necessary to perform a bone graft before receiving a dental implant.
Why Would a Bone Graft Be Needed?
To complete a dental implant, a metal post must first be drilled and secured into the jaw bone. Then, a prosthetic tooth is attached to the post, giving it the appearance and feel of a real tooth and making the implant permanent. However, many people who lose adult teeth have bone loss in the jaw caused by periodontal disease, which means there isn't enough jaw bone to properly support the implant post.
A dental X-ray will determine if a patient has enough supporting bone for a successful dental implant. If not, then a bone graft may be needed, which involves the transfer of bone from another part of the body (or artificial bone) to the jaw.
Are You a Viable Candidate?
Only a dentist will be able to tell you if you're a viable candidate for a bone graft before dental implants. Generally, if you suffer from moderate to advanced periodontal disease (an advanced form of gum disease that results in bone loss) but have otherwise healthy teeth, you will be a viable candidate. However, your dentist will also need to check your medical history to ensure this. Furthermore, if you're a smoker, your ability to have a bone graft may also be diminished.
What to Expect
If you end up having a bone graft procedure done in order to receive dental implants, you can typically have the procedure done in the same appointment that your implant post is done. However, this will depend on where the grafted bone will come from--whether it's from another part of your body or from an artificial material.
The recovery time for a bone graft can be several days to several weeks, and you'll need to make sure that you maintain excellent oral hygiene during your recovery time. This includes brushing several times a day, flossing around the area, and using an anti-bacterial (perhaps even a prescription) mouthwash.
Have other questions? Contact a company like Simanek Milan DDS & Associates to learn more.
Share