Bone Grafting for Dental Implants: Purpose and Procedure
Tooth loss, be it due to accidents, decay, gum disease, or old age, will affect your oral health. Seeking tooth replacement is the next best option to restore your smile. So, our dentist offers dental implants in Newton, Surrey, to help patients who have lost their teeth get a second shot at a beautiful and functional smile.
Dental implants usually stand out because they replace the root and the crown. The implant is a root-sized post made of titanium that our implant dentist surgically inserts in the bone. Then, a crown will be placed to cover the implant.
However, the success of the implant is dependent on the jawbone. The health and density of the bone will determine if the implant will be firmly in place. This is where bone grafting comes in handy. So, what’s bone grafting?
Understanding Bone Grafting
A dental bone graft is a surgical procedure our implant dentist carries out to reconstitute bone tissue and structure. Our dentist places healthy bone tissue where the weakened or depleted bone tissue is located to rebuild it so it can hold a dental implant.
Bone grafting has been of great help to many patients who’ve come through our doors and needed dental implants but didn’t have enough healthy bone.
The procedure is simple and simple. It is completed during a single dental appointment. The interesting thing about bone grafting is that the donor tissue is placed to stimulate your body to create new cells around the tissue. Plus, you’ll discover that bones are more malleable than you might have thought.
Purpose of Bone Grafting
Tooth loss has detrimental effects on your oral health. One of the main things that happen when you lose your tooth is that the alveolar bone (the bone that holds the teeth) starts to atrophy. This is because the bone is strengthened through chewing.
The jawbone is designed for activity. If you don’t chew, the alveolar bone will begin to deteriorate then the jawbone will follow suit.
Also, you might lose a tooth, and the socket could have an infection, or the immediate implant placement might not be the same size as the lost tooth. In these scenarios, bone grafting could be an excellent option.
Once the healthy bone tissue is transplanted, the old cells will give way as the new cells start emerging.
Do You Need a Bone Graft?
Our dentist will perform a thorough examination of your bone. So, this will entail taking digital x-rays to ensure that our dentist has a clearer picture of your alveolar bone.
Our dentist will be better placed to tell you if you need a bone graft or not after checking the dental scan. The scan will also show if you have enough healthy bones or not.
Types of Dental Bone Grafting
Our implant dentist near you can use any of the three types of bone grafts depending on the lost tooth’s location and the extent of the damage. The common dental bone grafts that our dentist uses are:
- Block Bone Graft
A block bone graft is the best solution if you have a large defect in your alveolar bone. Typically, this type of bone graft is taken from the back of the jawbone.
- Sinus Lift
If you have lost your molars on the upper jaw, you could be up for this type of bone grafting. The molars are suited below the sinus; when you lose your molars, the sinus will begin to shift downward to occupy the space left by the missing teeth. Our dentist performs the procedure to restore the sinus and repair the gap by placing a bone graft.
- Socket Graft
Since the alveolar bone atrophies after tooth loss, our dentist can perform a socket graft to prevent the bone from deteriorating. Our dentist will obtain healthy bone tissue and place it within the missing tooth’s socket to prevent it from collapsing.
How Is Bone Grafting Done?
Our dentist will determine the type of graft used based on the scans. After determining the type of graft, our dentist will administer anesthesia to enable you to relax and feel no pain.
Our dentist near me will make an incision in the skin above where the graft is needed. Then, the next step will be to shape the donated bone to fit the affected area. Our dentist will place the bone graft using pins, screws, cables, or wires. Once the graft is secure, our dentist will close the incision and start the healing process.
As you have seen, placing a dental bone graft is not complex. If you have any questions concerning dental bone grating or need dental implants near you, contact us at King George Dental Centre.