Dental implants are a revolutionary tooth restoration treatment that offers a permanent solution to missing teeth. The titanium implants are embedded directly into your jaw, providing a solid anchor point for an artificial crown. It gives you a tooth replacement that looks and functions exactly like your natural tooth.
However, to be a candidate for the surgery, you need to have adequate jawbone density, so your dentist may prescribe a bone graft for dental implants.
Why Do I Need Bone Graft for Dental Implants?
Bone grafts may be necessary before receiving dental implants or other types of dental restoration treatments. After severe trauma or an extended period without a tooth or teeth, you may have suffered jawbone resorption, causing a loss of tissue density. Without adequate thickness, the jaw cannot support the titanium post, and the force from chewing and biting may lead to dental implant rejection.
Dental Bone Graft Materials
The cost of your bone graft surgery depends on the type of material used. There are several materials available for a bone graft, which are divided into four broad categories.
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Allograft
The bone tissue is harvested from a cadaver or another human donor. Recovery is quick, and the procedure is proven to be clinically reliable.
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Xenograft
Occasionally, tissue may be taken from bovine, porcine, or equine tissue. The tissue is easily accessible and plentiful; however, some patients can be turned off by the prospect of animal tissue donation.
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Autograft
The bone tissue is taken from another area of your body with higher bone density. There is very little chance of rejection, but it may require a longer recovery period because of the two surgical sites.
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Alloplastic graft
The graft is constructed from naturally occurring minerals, typically hydroxyapatite or calcium carbonate. However, synthetic materials can also be used depending on your health and any allergies you may have. These synthetic compounds act as a growth matrix for your bone tissue to regenerate.
The right type of bone graft is determined by your dentist depending on the dental implant site’s size and the amount of bone graft material required.
Types of Bone Graft for Dental Implants
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Sinus Lift and Graft
For the upper maxillary arch, the sinus cavity may not have the requisite depth for a successful implant procedure. A sinus lift involves separating the sinus membrane from the maxillary arch and inserting a bone graft to ensure that the upper jaw is thick enough to support an implant.
Equine tissue is often used because it is less prone to deterioration than human bone. A sinus lift also requires an extended recovery time of up to 9 months due to the sinus cavity’s delicate anatomy.
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Socket Graft
A socket graft is most often used for building up decayed or weakened jawbone tissue following a tooth extraction. The procedure is usually performed immediately after the tooth is removed, and natural bone tissue is placed inside the socket left after the extraction. A socket graft heals within 6 months, allowing for the dental implant to be placed.
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Block Bone Graft
If you have had an extraction and sustained significant bone loss due to resorption, your dentist will likely recommend a block bone graft. A small block of the patient’s jaw is removed and secured in the gap using biocompatible titanium screws. The procedure requires several months of healing before embedding the dental implant.
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Lateral Ridge Preservation Graft
In cases where the patient’s jaw is not wide enough to support a dental implant, a graft is used to extend the jaw’s width to provide ample tissue to create a firm foundation for the implant post.
Bone Graft for Dental Implants: The Procedure
A bone graft is a routine outpatient procedure that is performed in the dentist’s chair.
Before the surgery, your dentist administers anaesthesia or sedation for anxious patients. At No Gaps Dental, we offer inhalation sedation, which uses nitrous oxide to put patients in a state of deep relaxation.
Your dentist cleans the area, then makes an incision in the gum tissue to expose the bone graft site. If you are having an autograft, a second incision is made to harvest the healthy jawbone tissue. The healthy tissue or donor tissue is positioned between the sections of the jaw that need to fuse. The surgical site is then cleaned and closed.
Dental Bone Graft Recovery
Depending on the type of bone graft surgery, it can take several months for the jawbone to regenerate to sufficient depth to place your dental implants. However, during the initial recovery period, you may experience swelling, bleeding, and some discomfort. There are several ways you can help your body heal and manage discomfort.
- Take over-the-counter medications.
- Take prescribed antibiotics.
- Change wound dressings frequently to prevent infection.
- Rinse your mouth with a salt water solution.
- Apply ice packs intermittently to the affected side of your face.
- Maintain good oral hygiene by gently brushing and flossing twice daily.
- Eat a soft food diet of fruit and vegetable purées, avoiding dairy products containing live bacteria that may affect the surgical site.
If you experience persistent bleeding, swelling, extreme discomfort, or fever, contact your dentist immediately because you may have an infection. Post-surgical complications are rare but can include infection due to improper aftercare or graft rejection. Your body pushes out the graft bone because it is seen as a foreign object and cannot fuse with the jawbone.
Once the surgical site has healed, you can schedule your surgery for dental implants.
Restore Your Smile at No Gaps Dental
If you are considering dental implants to restore missing teeth, your dentist may recommend a bone graft for dental implants before your surgery. Although this procedure may prolong the overall treatment length, it provides a stable foundation for your dental implants and reduces implant failure risk.
To learn more about bone grafting or determine whether you need a bone graft for dental implants, contact No Gaps Dental on (02) 8806 0227 to book a consultation with one of our experienced dentists at a location near you.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.