What is the Process of Bone Grafting?

Before you can get a dental implant, your oral surgeon in Palmdale, CA may need to do a dental bone graft. While this sounds like a complex and involved procedure, it’s actually quite common and has been done millions of times all over the world. If this will be your first bone graft, it’s helpful to learn about the process.

What is a Bone Graft Used For?

In areas where bone loss has occurred, a dental bone graft provides volume and sturdiness to your jaw. The bone graft material might come from your own body (autogenous) or from a human tissue bank (allograft) or an animal tissue bank (xenograft). In certain other instances, bone graft material is man-made, which is referred to as alloplast bone grafting material.

Once the bone transplant is in place, it creates room for your body to rebuild itself. A dental bone graft, in other words, acts as a scaffold for your own bone tissue to develop and repair. Your oral surgeon may combine a dental bone transplant with platelet-rich plasma in some circumstances (PRP). This is derived from a sample of your own blood and is used to aid in tissue regeneration and repair.

What is the Process of a Bone Graft in Palmdale, CA?

The oral surgeon in Palmdale, CA will apply local anesthesia to numb the area of the bone graft. If you feel you need a sedative to help you relax, you can request that. Following that, they will make a tiny incision in your gums. The gum tissue is pushed back slightly to reveal the jawbone.

Your dentist will use bone grafting material to correct the defect after cleaning and sterilizing the region. For further protection, the bone transplant is frequently wrapped with a membrane. Finally, stitches are used to seal the incision and reposition the gum tissue. Though you should be back to normal in a week or two, full dental bone transplant recovery can take anywhere from three to nine months — and sometimes longer.

Over time, your oral surgeon will determine when the bone graft has sufficiently developed to successfully host the dental implant. Bone grafts do take time, but the outcome is very much worth it to your smile and self-esteem!