If you have recently been to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, your doctor may have mentioned a procedure called bone grafting. This type of surgery is especially common if you’re interested in a dental implant to replace missing teeth.
So what is bone grafting? Here is everything oral health patients need to know about the procedure.
What is a bone graft?
If you’re hoping to get a dental implant, you need to make sure there is enough bone in the jaw for the post to implant successfully. Unfortunately, after losing a tooth, the bone in your jaw starts to deteriorate.
A bone graft helps make it possible for successful dental implant surgery.
During a bone graft procedure, your oral and maxillofacial surgeon replaces missing bone from your jaw with bone graft material. This process helps to encourage the regeneration of bone and increases your bone density and thickness.
A few other reasons you may need bone grafting include aging, genetic defects, or untreated, periodontal disease.
What to expect with a bone grafting procedure
Your bone grafting procedure starts before the date of your actual surgery. First, your oral and maxillofacial surgeon performs an evaluation and works with you to develop a treatment plan that includes a bone graft.
When it’s time for your surgical appointment for your bone graft, your doctor will help you feel comfortable with either anesthesia or sedation. Should you plan for sedation or general anesthesia, you’ll need to arrange for a driver to take you home once the procedure is complete.
Next, the surgeon will clean the bone grafting site, expose the bone, and attach the bone graft material to your existing bone. After the bone graft is in place, your doctor will suture the gums closed.
The doctor will provide instructions for your recovery. It’s important to follow these post-operative instructions so you can manage any soreness, pain, or discomfort and promote healing. It can take anywhere from four to six months for a bone graft to heal. Prepare for healing time before a dental implant, should that be the next part of your treatment plan.
Bone Grafting and Dental Implants at COOMSA
Learn more about dental implants and bone grafting at our three convenient offices in OKC, Stillwater, and Tulsa. Our oral and maxillofacial surgeons are dedicated to providing the highest quality care and treating our patients with dignity, compassion, and respect.