Bone Graft for Dental Implants – All You Need to Know

Bone Graft for Dental Implants – All You Need to Know

27th March 2023

What is a bone graft?
Bone grafting is performed when a part of a jaw has bone loss or needs additional support. This procedure removes bone material from another part of the body or a donor source. It is then transplanted to the jawbone area, where the dental implant will be placed.

Bone grafts provide a strong foundation for dental implants and encourage the growth of new bone tissue.

Why might a bone graft be necessary for dental implants?

To ensure the success of dental implant surgery, your jaw needs to have enough healthy bones. Unfortunately, this might not be the case sometimes. Here are some reasons why your jaw bones could be weak.

Periodontal disease: Ongoing gum infections like these can damage the bone and soft tissue that support your teeth. Most periodontal issues are made up of plaque-induced inflammatory lesions and come in 2 kinds: periodontitis and gingivitis.
Injury: Injury/trauma to the jawbone is often caused due to tooth damage. Trauma can also occur if your tooth has been knocked out. When there’s no longer any biting surface, that’s when bone loss happens.
Tooth loss: With tooth loss comes bone loss too. Because when a tooth is lost, the bone that is used to support the tooth can begin to deteriorate over time.
A dental bone graft procedure is very much required to ensure your jaw bones are strong enough for dental implant surgery. You can trust our team at Natural Smiles to efficiently carry out all bone grafting services with ease.

We use high-quality dental equipment and products to prioritize your safety.

Types of bone grafts used for dental implants
3 types of bone grafts are commonly used for dental implants:

Autograft: This involves removing bone material from another part of the patient’s body to transplant it to the jawbone. Autografts are usually the most effective. This is because there’s a reduced risk of rejection since the bone tissue is taken from the patient’s own body.
Allograft: This involves using bone material from a donor source, which means, although effective, Allografts could create a small risk of rejection and the possibility of disease transmission. Nevertheless, they’re considered a cost-effective option for patients who need dental implant procedures.
Xenograft: These types of bone grafts are less commonly used but can be effective sometimes. In this, bone material from an animal source (for example, a cow) is taken and transplanted to the jaw bone.
The choice of material used for bone grafts for dental implants will depend on a variety of factors. These include the size and location of the bone defect, the patient’s overall health and medical history, and the surgeon’s experience and preferences.

Bone graft for dental implants – The procedure

Before deciding you need a dental bone graft procedure, consult with us at Natural Smiles. We will evaluate the patient’s oral health to check if they are a good candidate for the procedure.

Following this, we can carry out the rest of the relevant steps:

Anesthesia: We give them anaesthesia to ensure the patient is comfortable and free from pain.
Incision: Next, we expose the jawbone by creating an incision in the gum tissue.
Bone graft placement: We then place the bone material in the same area where we’ll place the dental implant. We may secure the bone graft with pins and screws to keep it in place.
Closure: We then close the incision with sutures. Lastly, we instruct the patient on how to care for the site during the healing process.

Dental bone grafting – The recovery process

While recovering from dental bone grafting, one can expect to go through the following stages:

Pain management: Some amount of discomfort and pain is natural after dental bone grafting. Luckily, the patient can manage this pain with the help of medication.
Healing time: Several months later, the bone graft will fully fuse with the jawbone and offer a solid foundation for the dental implant. To ensure that teeth heal effectively, check out our aftercare tips below.
Follow-up appointments: The patient will need to attend follow-up appointments withdentist / oral surgeon at Natural Smiles to monitor the healing process. Without follow-ups, you may risk delaying recovery.

Aftercare for dental bone graft procedure

Here are some tips for caring for teeth after getting a bone graft for dental implants:

Avoid brushing or flossing around the area for the first 24 hours after the dental bone graft procedure. This can prolong the healing stage and cause irritation. You can gently floss and brush as our team at Natural Smiles instructed.
Starting from the day after surgery, you can rinse your mouth gently with warm salt water several times a day to prevent inflammation and improve the chances of healing.
Avoid smoking or using any tobacco products for at least a week after the procedure. If you fail to do so, it can slow down the healing process and cause more complications.
Eat soft foods for the first few days after the procedure. Hard or crunchy foods can irritate the surgical site.
Don’t neglect any prescribed medications post-surgery.
Attend any follow-up appointments as scheduled to ensure proper healing. Remember to address any concerns or complications that may arise.
In conclusion, the key to dental care post-bone graft surgery is to be gentle with the surgical site. This includes maintaining good oral hygiene to prevent infection and taking every precautionary measure to promote healing.

If you’re concerned about any side effects like allergic reactions and discomfort, feel free to have a chat with our dedicated team!

We also provide a wide range of other services like laser dentistry, root canal therapy, Invisalign treatments, dermal fillers, and more.