Oral Surgery: Dental Bone Grafting Procedures
If you have suffered from a great deal of damage or boine loss in your jaw then your oral surgeon may perform a bone graft procedure to help build the area back up prior to performing another dental procedure. There are three ways to get the bone graft material: You can get it from your own body (autogenous), a human tissue bank (allograft), or an animal tissue bank (xenograft). In some cases, bone graft materials may be made of synthetic materials (alloplast).
What situations may require a dental bone graft?
Generally, patients who have experienced a substantial amount of bone loss will need a dental bone graft to help them. Doing this may be a good idea if you are:
- having a tooth extracted
- planning on getting a dental implant
- planning on getting dentures
- experiencing bone loss because of periodontal or gum disease
What will happen leading up to the bone graft procedure?
A dentist will examine your mouth, gums, and jaw to ensure that your teeth and gums are in good health. To determine how much bone has been lost, the dentist will use dental X-rays or scans. The next step is for your dentist to go over your treatment options with you and devise a plan that meets your needs.
What should you expect during dental bone graft surgery?
Your oral surgeon will need to begin by opening up your gums to get a good view of the jawbone beneath. After they clean and disinfect the area, they add the bone graft material to fill in the hole and repair it. Closing the wound and moving gum tissue with stitches is done last so that the wound and gum tissue are both healed adequately.
Normally, patients are not put to sleep during a dental bone graft. Your oral surgeon will likely apply local anesthesia to numb any pain you would feel during the procedure. Thanks to anesthesia, many patients claim that there is little to no pain during the grafting process.
What happens in the time after a bone graft procedure?
You will likely experience pain and swelling after a bone graft has been completed. These are common side effects, but they should go away in a few days, so don't worry too much about them. Pain relievers and antibiotics can be used to treat symptoms, and your oral surgeon may also give you antibiotics to treat your teeth. you should always be sure to follow your oral surgeon's instructions when it comes to medications and aftercare.
How long is dental bone graft surgery recovery?
There is no set time in which a dental bone graft will fully heal. the recovery process will depend on the type of graft and where it is placed. As soon as a week or two passes, you should start to feel better, but full dental healing can take between three and nine months.