What is a Dental Bone Graft?
A dental bone graft adds volume and density to your jaw in areas where bone loss has occurred. The bone graft material may be taken from your own body (autogenous), or it may be purchased from a human tissue bank (allograft) or an animal tissue bank (xenograft). In some instances, the bone graft material may be synthetic (alloplast). In our office, we use bone from a human tissue bank.
Dental bone grafts can increase your eligibility for dental implants and other restorative treatments.
How does a dental bone graft work?
Once the bone graft has been placed, it holds space for your own body to do the repair work. In other words, a dental bone graft is like a scaffold on which your own bone tissue can grow and regenerate.
Who needs a dental bone graft?
A person with bone loss in their jaw usually needs a dental bone graft. This procedure may be recommended if you:
- Are having a tooth extracted.
- Plan to replace a missing tooth with a dental implant.
- Need to rebuild the jaw before getting dentures.
- Have areas of bone loss due to gum (periodontal) disease.
What happens after a dental bone graft?
Following a dental bone graft, you may have pain, swelling and bruising. These are normal side effects that should diminish in a few days. Symptoms can be managed with pain relievers. Your dentist may give you antibiotics as well.
You might notice small fragments of bone coming out of the site over the first few days. These pieces often resemble grains of salt or sand. This usually isn’t a cause for concern, but you can call us to make sure that you’re healing as expected.
What are the advantages of dental bone grafts?
Dental bone grafts can increase your eligibility for dental implants and other restorative treatments. This procedure restores your jaw to its original form following trauma, tooth loss or gum (periodontal) disease.
This procedure restores your jaw to its original form following trauma, tooth loss or gum (periodontal) disease.
How long does it take to recover from a dental bone graft?
Though you will probably feel back to normal within a week or two, complete dental bone graft healing can take between three and nine months – sometimes longer. Recovery times depend on several factors, including the type of graft, the area in which the graft was placed and your body’s healing capacity.
