Bone Grafting
Portland, OR
If you are considering getting dental implants, you might have come across bone grafting while doing your research before making your decision. The process of bone grafting is painless. Portland City Dental has fantastic dentists that will be able to explain what the bone grafting process might look like for you and if it is necessary.
 When is Bone Grafting Needed?
Bone grafting is required if you do not have sufficient bones in your mouth that will be capable of supporting implants. Bone deficiency in your mouth is most commonly caused by gum disease, trauma, developmental defects, or space left in your mouth after a tooth was removed.
If you are looking to get an implant as a replacement for a permanent tooth that you have lost, it is highly possible that you will need to have a bone graft procedure before you can get the implant. Bone loss starts from the day you lose the tooth, so if it has been a while, you are more likely to need bone grafting.
How Does Bone Grafting Work?
A socket graft is the most common in dentistry. A socket graft is utilized to prevent the decline in the health in the socket before it has time to begin. It is common to place the bone of a human donor right into the socket to prevent the collapse. After a socket graft, you will be eligible for an implant in four to six months.
The second type of bone graft which is used to increase the width of your jawbone is lateral ridge preservation. It allows the implant to be properly held in place. This type of graft uses a human donor for the bone. In four to six months your mouth will be healed from this procedure.
Not as common as the other two is the block bone graft which is used when there are defects in the jawbone. To perform a block bone graft, a small block of bone will be taken from the back of the jaw and placed into the defect. It will be held in place with some tiny titanium screws. This procedure will take four to six months to completely heal.
None of these procedures are known to be painful. They are all outpatient procedures, but you will be sedated during the entire process. It is not common to feel pain as the graft heals, but if you do experience pain you should contact us.
What Happens After?
When the procedure is complete, you will be given some antibiotics to prevent an infection. You and the dentist will monitor the bone graft and wait for it to fuse together with the natural bones in your mouth. Every mouth is different, so there is no way to tell exactly how long this will take to happen. You will schedule regular checkups until we determine you are ready for implants.
If you are considering a bone grafting procedure, read our dental implant FAQs and contact Portland City Dental at (503) 256-7917 to schedule an appointment to speak to one of our dentists. We are here to answer any of your questions or concerns.
|
