So you just went to your Tijuana dentist, and they recommended that for your future dental implants to be successful you must undergo a procedure called bone graft. It’s completely natural to have doubts.
The name alone sounds scary, but once you know more about it, all of your concerns will go away, and you’ll walk into the procedure with new confidence.
How is a bone grafting going to help your tooth implants? Read on to learn about this procedure, how much time it will take to recover from it and the possible risks involved.
What is Bone Graft for Dental Implants?
Bone grafting is the term used for a variety of surgical methods used for augmenting or stimulating the formation of new bone where it is needed. In this case, it applies to your jawbone.
If your jawbone has deteriorated, dental implants can’t be placed right away, since there’s not enough strength in your mouth to support it. In that case, you might be in need of a dental bone graft.
Depending on your jawbone structure and strength, we can determine if you’re good to go on dental implants. We determine that using the following criteria.
- The jawbone thick enough for the implant?
- Is the jawbone deep enough?
- Is the jawbone wide enough?
How Does a Bone Graft Benefit Me?
Bone loss, in general, can cause many health issues, but when it comes to your oral health, it also causes to make you look older than you are. However, bone can be regenerated and strengthened making your appearance and health much better.
Grafting technology and its continuing advancements not only promote new bone growth but controlled growth for the most optimum result.
Bone grafting can genuinely make everyday necessities like eating much easier, improving your overall health.
The Process of Bone Graft in the Dental Implant Procedure
Over the years, bone grafting has become a painless and minimally invasive dental procedure that can be performed directly in our dental office.
Usually, if our dentist in Mexico determines you need bone augmentation, the procedure is performed at the same time as the tooth extraction, this is to help the healing process much faster.
However, if you’ve been missing teeth for a length of time, the process begins with a local anesthetic to numb the area and an incision in the gum tissue are made to expose the bone.
Our dentist will attach the bone graft material to the exposed bone in the mouth, and then the area is sutured to close the gum tissue.
As new bone grows, the graft material is absorbed completely and integrated into the jawbone.
The healing time can take from a few weeks up to nine months, and only then can you have dental implants in Mexico placed, depending on the extent of the graft and the condition of the jawbone.
Am I a Candidate For Bone Graft?
Bone grafts can be placed in most adults who eventually undergo a dental implantation procedure.
- The bone surrounding the missing tooth should be of good density. This will help the healing process of the grafted bone.
- Autoimmune disorders like diabetes can impair healing. A patient with such conditions would have to consult with a physician who can conduct a pre-surgical exam to ensure the procedure can be carried out without any complications.
- Periodontal disease affects the bone underneath the gums. Therefore some patients will have to treat gum that is infected before a grafting procedure can be conducted.
Bone Graft Risks
As in the case of any medical surgery, bone graft to poses a risk of infection. Infections are reported in less than 1% of the cases and can be cured by antibiotics prescribed by the surgeon. Choosing a highly skilled surgeon is essential to rule out the chances of any infection.
If the bone to be grafted is taken from the hip, you might find it uncomfortable to walk for a few weeks.
Swelling in the grafted area may cause discomfort for up to two weeks. Your surgeon may prescribe you medicines to ease out this pain, or you can use ice packs.
In case of an allograft, bone from a donor may take a longer time to fuse, resulting in a more extended recovery period.
The Road to a Better Smile and a Better Life
The American Dental Association mentions many of the benefits of going through the bone graft procedure to get tooth implants.
Bone graft really increases the chances of a dental implant being successful, which is already reasonably high thanks to the incredible advancements in dental implant technology over the past few decades.
A successful dental implant leads to higher confidence, better dental hygiene and can eliminate the need for embarrassing and uncomfortable dentures.
If you have considered dental implants or the process has been brought up to you by your dentist, the idea of undergoing a bone graft might be holding you back.
But the information provided here should help you to feel more confident in your final choice.