Benefits
• Bone grafts increase the chances of keeping your natural teeth, while decreasing the chances of periodontal disease;
• Bone grafts repair injured bone that did not heal;
• They reduce pocket depth and repair damage caused by the progression of periodontal disease.
Who is this procedure for?
Bone grafts are recommended for patients who have the bone that supports the teeth destroyed. The periodontist use them to help regenerate lost bone and tissue.
What happens before the procedure?
Bone grafts are done when patients have lost a single tooth that has been gone for several years and they wish to replace it with a crown. The patient is given local anesthesia to numb both the area where the bone augmentation is needed and the area from where bone will be removed.
What happens during the procedure?
The procedure starts with the surgeon making an incision over the bone defect, determining how much bone it is needed. After that he or she will make another incision below the lower front teeth and remove a block of bone from the chin. The area where the bone is removed is then filled with a different type of bone graft material and stitched.
In the area that needs the grafts the dentist will drill small holes to cause bleeding; this is done because there are some cells in blood that help the bone heal. Next, the bone that was removed from the chin is fixed with titanium screws. Around it the dentist will place a mixture of the patient’s bone marrow and another bone graft material. At the end, he or she will put a membrane over the whole area and then stitch the incision.
What happens after the procedure?
The recovery will last anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months. Patients are given antibiotics, pain medication and an antibacterial mouthwash. Certain foods will be avoided, as well as putting pressure on the area until it heals. Patients who wear dentures are not allowed to wear it for one month after the procedure.
