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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is bone grafting performed?
If you have suffered from periodontal disease or have been missing a tooth for some time, it is possible that the part of the jaw where that tooth is missing will have begun to lose some mass. Without a tooth to support, the bone in the jaw closest to the gums can start to atrophy. It has no purpose without a tooth. Without a strong jawbone, the posts used in implants cannot integrate themselves into the bone properly and will not have the strength to support the crowns placed on them.
Bone grafting is the procedure we use to correct this lack of bone. We take bone from other parts of the body or use artificial bone to increase the mass of the jaw. This grafted bone, over time, fuses with your current bone to become one solid piece.
What are the risks and benefits of bone grafting?
Bone grafting is a serious procedure. However, when done properly, it can be a definitive step towards a patient's oral health recovery. The amount of bone needed for a graft is typically very small, and it can be taken from another part of your mouth or from an area such as the hip. There is no long-term damage or other issues from removing this small amount of bone. Bone grafting is a procedure that is often done in conjunction with getting implants, although it may need to be done at other times, too, in order to build up your jawbone. The benefits of bone grafts are to add support and mass back into your jaw.
Patients risk getting an infection where the incisions are made; proper, gentle oral health care can reduce the risks of infection. The patient will need to manage their pain until they recovers from the operation. Corrective measures may be required if the patient's body either rejects or absorbs the bone graft.
What happens during a bone grafting procedure?
There are several different types of bone grafts that we can work with at Portland City Dental. There are a total of five types of bone grafts, which include autografts, allografts, xenografts, alloplasts, and ceramic-based grafts. Autografts are bone tissue taken from a donor site on your body. Despite requiring two surgical sites, these are preferred because they have the highest success rate. Allografts are bone grafts taken from a cadaver donor. This bone is treated before you receive it so that it is more resistant to disease and immune reactions. Xenografts mainly come from cows, but they can be taken from various animals. This is actual bone material, but the success rate is a bit lower because there is a chance that your body could reject it. Alloplasts are a synthetic bone graft made from hydroxyapatite, a mineral that is found in your bone. Ceramic-based grafts are either fully ceramic or combined with a biocompatible material.
Is bone grafting painful?
Bone grafts are not painful and may be carried out under a local anesthetic or conscious sedation.
While it will take months for the new bone to fully fuse, you will not be impacted by this process. Typically, you will only feel some discomfort for a few days after the procedure. You can then continue to eat, talk, chew, etc. normally while the bones fuse together.
How successful is bone grafting?
Bone grafting is generally considered a successful procedure, with studies reporting success rates ranging from 85% to over 95%. The success of bone grafting depends on factors such as the type of graft material used, the patient's overall health, and proper post-operative care. |
