Bone Grafting Is a Routine Procedure in Periodontics

Dental bone grafts are procedures performed to increase the quantity of bone in a part of the jaw where bone loss has occurred or where additional support is needed. The bone required for the grafting is taken elsewhere from the body and surgically integrated with the existing bone in the jaw. Synthetic bone materials are used by bone grafting near me in some cases.

Dental bone grafts are sometimes needed if additional procedures like dental implants are considered or if bone loss impacts the health of the gums and teeth. Please continue reading to learn how bone grafts work and what results you can expect from the procedure.

What Precisely Is a Bone Graft?

Bone grafts are performed in various ways by periodontics near you, but the basic procedure remains the same. First, dentists or oral surgeons make incisions in the jaw to attach other bone material to the surgical site.

The dentist in San Diego, CA, performs bone grafting if you have lost one or more permanent teeth or have gum disease. Either of these conditions can cause bone resorption in the jaw. The selected approach for dental bone grafting is using bone from your body or the back of your jaw in a procedure called autografts. Autografts are considered the gold standard because they increase bony support in the jaw while promoting faster healing and new bone formation.

Suitable Candidates for Bone Grafting

If you intend to replace missing teeth with dental implants, you may require bone grafting to support a part of the jaw with lost bone because of tooth loss or gum disease. Bone loss affects the neighbouring teeth, and stabilising the jaw with a bone graft helps prevent additional bone loss and the long-term health consequences that accompany it.

As you intend to have dental implants surgically embedded into the jawbone to function as an artificial tooth root, you may require bone grafting in San Diego, CA, to provide a stable base for the implant.

Preparing for Bone Grafting

The bone grafting procedure doesn’t require much preparation. However, your dentist provides a checklist of what you can do before the procedures. The checklist includes:

• You must avoid eating or drinking anything eight to 12 hours before the process, depending on the type of anesthesia you will receive.
• You must inform your dentist about any medications you use, like blood thinners which can increase your bleeding complications during the procedure.
• The anesthesia will leave you tired and unable to drive home. Therefore you must make arrangements to reach home after the procedure.

How Is Bone Grafting Performed?

Before the procedure, you receive anesthesia, and the specialist monitors your vital signs throughout the process. First, the site of the bone grafting is cleaned by the dental technician. Then, the oral surgeon makes an incision in the gums to separate them from the bone where the graft is scheduled.

The surgeon places the bone material between the two parts of the bone that must integrate. Next, special screws, adhesive material, or a membrane helps secure the bone graft. The incision is then stitched up to begin the healing process.

The Recovery Procedure after Bone Grafting

After undergoing a dental bone graft, you leave the dentist’s office with gauze covering the incision in your mouth. You receive instructions to change the dressing during the next 24 hours besides a prescription for antibiotics to prevent infections. The dentist also provides prescriptions for painkillers.

You can use ice packs to reduce the pain and swelling for the initial 48 hours. However, you must refrain from having your regular diet and stick to soft and bland foods for a few days. You are recommended to avoid hot liquids like coffee or soups and crunchy foods like nuts. Indulging in physical activity like contact sports can risk the incision and be avoided until you heal.

Your jaw begins feeling some mild discomfort after a week, indicating the surgical site is improving. After a few weeks, your jaw begins feeling normal. However, the recovery takes a few months before your jaw is strong enough to receive implants. Therefore, you must schedule periodic visits with your dentist and at least one round of x-rays to ensure the healing is proceeding normally.

Dental bone grafts help prevent long-term health issues associated with tooth loss and gum disease to provide sufficient bone material if you want to have dental implants. In addition, the procedure is safe and well-tolerated and following your dentist’s instructions during recovery minimizes your chances of complications after the procedure.