Patients who do not have sufficient healthy, natural bone to
support a dental implant may be the perfect contenders for bone augmentation,
which rebuilds the bone to provide a sound structure for placing and securing
implants onto the alveolar bone. This augmentation is usually completed with
the use of a bone graft, which involves placing bone graft material on your jawbone
that sticks to it and forms new bone. If you feel this is something worth
pursuing, then follow our quick below and learn more!
Why Would I Want a Bone
Augmentation?
For a dental implant to successfully take hold, the jaw must
have healthy bone as support that can hold the implant to the jawbone securely.
If you've experienced oral conditions, such as periodontal disease or trauma or
injury to the jaw and face, the quality of the jawbone could be compromised.
Patients who’ve undergone tooth extractions or have used dentures for a long
time may also have insufficient bone density levels for supporting dental
implants.
How the Process Works
Bone grafting in this day and age is a minimally invasive,
mostly painless procedure performed by an oral surgeon or a periodontist. If
the bone augmentation is performed at the same time as a tooth extraction, this
helps patients heal faster. However, for patients who’ve had missing teeth for
a while, the process starts with a localized anesthetic for numbing the area,
and an incision into the gum tissue is used to expose the underlying bone.
Then, the surgeon attaches bone graft material onto the
exposed bone, which contains proteins and collagen for encouraging bone growth,
before the gum tissue is sutured closed. While the new bone is growing, the
graft material is replaced and completely absorbed. The new bone takes time to
heal—between several weeks and nine months—before a dental implant can be set,
depending on the existing bone’s condition and the graft’s extent.
Where the Bone Originates
From
Regarding the actual grafting material, there are a few
options available, such as autograft, which is when bone is taken directly from
the patient. The chosen bone graft material can come from another bone section
in the body, such as the chin, shin, or hip bone. For some cases, the dental
specialist removes bone from the shin using sedation and localized anesthesia,
but if the bone comes from your hip, you might need surgery under general
anesthesia.
If bone harvested from the patient isn’t an option, there is
also the possibility of using either a cadaver or another person. There is also
xenograft, which is often harvested from animals like pigs or cows, as well as
alloplast, a synthetic graft that’s made in a lab. The harvested bone is
disinfected carefully and then processed to make sure that no diseases or bacteria
pass to the patient receiving the graft. Synthetic and harvested bone supplies
can be stored in a dentist’s office and used for the augmentation procedure.
Treatment and Care
After undergoing a bone augmentation procedure, the dental
specialist will provide you with oral healthcare instructions to adhere to
while waiting for the bone to regenerate. The healing process takes anywhere between
six and nine months to complete, during which time you might not be able to eat
specific foods or wear dentures. Your dental specialist may prescribe
antibiotics for preventing infection as well as pain medication for alleviating
discomfort.
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