A dental bone graft is a surgical procedure required for some implant patients. These include people who’ve suffered bone loss due to gum disease, injury, and tooth loss. The procedure involves transplanting a bone, usually from your body, a donor, or a synthetically made one. It ensures that the patient has a complete bone structure to support the implant, especially with the amount of pressure applied when chewing or biting.
How Is It Done?
A bone graft for dental implants can be done in different ways depending on the patient’s condition. But essentially, the basic procedure is similar for all, where a surgeon starts with an incision in the patient’s jaw where the bone will be grafted. After that, the patient needs to wait for four to six months for their gums and jawbone to heal before the implant surgery.
In some cases, both dental surgeries can take place in one day if the patient only needs a minor graft. But keep in mind, this decision depends on what your dentist thinks is best. There are four kinds of bone grafts depending on where the material is sourced:
- Autograft – This is referred to as the “gold standard” of bone grafting in which the bone is obtained from a part of your body like your hip, chin, or shin.
- Xenografts – This type of bone graft is acquired from an animal like a cow or a pig.
- Alloplastic Grafts – This is another form of bone grafting in which the bone is made of synthetic materials like calcium phosphate.
- Allografts – This graft involves collecting the bone from another person, like a deceased donor free of diseases.
Trust Your Dentist
The longevity of your implant relies on the strength of your jawbone. As such, a bone graft for dental implants is an operation you don’t need to worry about, especially with trusted experts at Affordable Smiles that will take care of you. For details about other procedures involving dental implants, call us at (833) 308-0599. You can also visit our dental offices in Gretna, Hammond, and Baton Rouge.