If you are looking for a full smile reconstruction, dental implants may be at the top of your mind. Unfortunately, many patients are not suited for this procedure because of a few reasons. One reason may be lack of soft tissue around the teeth. Missing soft tissue around the teeth allows for a weakened structure. Another procedure that may need to occur prior to dental implant procedure is bone grafting. Bone grafting is necessary for the patients who do not have enough jawbone dentistry to keep the implant permanent.
Bone grafting is a common procedure prior to having your dental implants placed. While bone grafting does not just exist for the sake of dental implant procedures, they tend to go hand in hand.
The bone grafting procedure is when your doctor takes a piece of bone and places it in the jaw to create a stronger structure. When the bone is placed, the patient will go through a healing period where the bone fuses with the existing jawbone, creating a dense foundation once again. This foundation will allow for the implant to hold strong, and not fail. At the time you decide bone grafting is for you, your doctor will aid you in the bone grafting treatment and fill you in on the details surrounding the procedure.
Typically, a doctor will take a piece of bone from another part of the body, like the chin. If you choose to not use your own bone, there are other options to choose from:
- Autogenous (self-produced) bone comes from the person having the surgery and might be taken from the chin, or perhaps the hips.
- Block bone grafting is the process of cutting a piece of bone from another area of the body and implanting the area requiring the strong dental implant bone. It will need to be left for around three to six months before it will ready to take the tooth implant.
- Allograft bone comes from other human donors, usually cadavers.
If you’re ready for your perfect smile and are looking to go through dental implants, schedule a consultation with your dentist. During this consultation, your dentist will decide if you need any procedures and treatments prior to the implants being placed.