When one or more of the patient’s teeth is missing, getting a dental implant is highly recommended. Dental implant is an oral health solution to patients suffering from damaged or decayed teeth and it works exactly as the patients natural set of teeth. Dental implants often require surgery particularly to older patients that have been missing a tooth/teeth for a long period of time. If this is the case then a bone draft is required to make sure that there is enough healthy jawbone that will be able to support the implants.
Why is a Bone Grafting Procedure Sometimes Required for Dental Implants
It is up to the oral surgeon/implant dentist to decide if the patient needs a bone graft before a dental implant can take place. Other patients will require a bone graft in order to have a stronger jaw bone. Patients should not be intimidated nor be scared of the phrase “bone graft procedure”. It may sound eerie and painful, but this procedure involves a minimal procedure and routine that can be completed in one visit to the dental office. If the jaw bone doesn’t have enough strength to secure the dental implant, then a surgery is likely to happen. The dentist will need a bone graft procedure so that the jawbone will have added strength to support the dental implants.
What Happens During the Procedure?
Bone graft usually takes a piece of bone in another location in the patient’s body or an animal and grafting it to the patient’s jaw bone. The patient will then have to wait a few months for the graft to form a new bone and make sure that the dental implant will be stable enough to last for a lifetime. The success rate of the procedure is high and once the bone is grafted into the jaw, the body instantly will recognize it as a natural bone and will be reabsorbed and be one with the bone over time.
When only a minor procedure is needed, it could be performed the same day as the getting a dental implant. When the bone graft is complete, the dental implant can be performed right away. The bone graft, when fully healed will allow the jaw bone to have enough strength to support the implant for years. The support is needed to be confident and feel the function of the dental implants to the adjacent teeth. When in doubt, discuss this procedure to your dental surgeon and make sure that it is the best choice for your needs.
Published on August 8, 2018, Updated on April 16, 2020