What is a Dental Bone Graft?
When you have lost teeth, it is vital to know that many options are available to restore your smile and functionality.
If you are missing teeth, your jawbone may shrink as time passes, making it difficult to place an implant later. Getting bone grafting near you is necessary to preserve the bone structure around where the lost tooth was located.
What is Dental Bone Grafting?
The dental bone graft procedure is commonly used to prepare your jawbone so that it can properly receive a dental implant. It’s also performed when you have lost teeth and want to replace them with new ones.
The main reason for this process is tooth loss and, in some cases, jawbone shrinkage due to age or disease (like periodontal disease). Lack of jawbone support a dental implant, then the only other way for it to be supported would be to use a bridge or dentures.
3 Types of Bone Grafting You Need to Know About?
If you’re looking to get a dental bone graft, there are three main types of bone grafting that might be right for you: autograft bone grafts, allograft bone transplants, and xenografts (usually animal bones).
- Autograft bone graft
Autologous bone grafting is when you take bone from one area of your body and move it to another area, like an ear lobe or rib cage, this is considered autologous bone grafting. The resulting bone is genetically matched to you—meaning that if there’s ever an issue with rejection at any point after surgery, it will not be as severe as if you had received a tissue transplant from someone else who wasn’t genetically compatible with you.
Your dentist will take a small amount of bone from the hip and attach it to the jaw. This piece of bone is called an allograft. Our dentist in 92121 may perform a block graft. This uses large pieces of bone when there isn’t enough room for healthy teeth to grow naturally after removal or loss during extraction.
- Allograft bone graft
This bone graft uses bone granules derived from cadavers. These are usually treated with gamma radiation to kill any viruses present in the bone and then sterilized using heat or ethylene oxide gas. Allografts are used in dental procedures and also in orthopedic surgery since they have many benefits over other types of graft material:
- They don’t require a donor site. This means that you won’t need to undergo another surgery after getting an allograft procedure done.
- An allograft can be harvested at any age.
- Xenograft Bone graft
A xenograft is a bone transplant from a cow or pig to the body. It is often used when individuals have suffered trauma or damage to their jawbone due to an injury
A Xenograft bone graft will require additional healing time before being placed within your mouth because of its animal origin. However, this method is highly effective at aiding in the recovery process because of its ability to restore lost bone levels within the jawbone structure while also promoting new growth where needed most.
- Sinus augmentation
Sinus augmentation refers to adding material to your sinus cavities to make them bigger. This can be done to correct a defect in the shape or size of your sinuses.
What to Expect During Bone Grafting?
Dental bone grafting involves taking bone from one area of the body and using it to repair another area.
The procedure helps fill in gaps and restore teeth to their natural shape. It can also help with jawbone repair, facial reconstruction, or even tooth extraction.
During the surgery, your dentist will first numb your gums with local anesthesia before making an incision in the gum tissue. Then they will use a saw or drill to remove bone from the jawbone or cheekbone and place it into the gap created by the extraction of teeth.
Schedule an Appointment
Visit Scripps Poway Dental Care for more information about bone grafting and what you can expect.