Recovery Time and Bone Grafts: What You Should Know

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Deciding to have a dental bone graft in Palmdale, CA, is a major milestone for most people. It prompts a lot of questions about not just the procedure but also the recovery time afterward. If you’re nervous about what’s ahead, we’ll look at an average timeline.

How Long Does It Take to Heal After a Bone Graft?
Week One: The first week or two is likely to be the worst. You can use over-the-counter medication and ice to help manage the pain and reduce the swelling, and you’ll need to have a soft food diet to give your mouth a chance to heal. If you’re feeling extreme pain, the kind that can’t be alleviated with aspirin or acetaminophen, it’s important to call your dental surgeon in Palmdale, CA, to let them know what’s going on.
Integration period: After the initial healing period is complete, you can start to step up your diet and activities. During this time, your bone graft is going to fuse together with the existing bone. It won’t happen overnight, so it’s possible that you’ll still feel some discomfort while it’s happening. You can expect the bone integration period to continue for up to six months.
The final phase: The bone from the implant needs to fully fuse with your existing bone in order to call the operation a success. This can take up to nine months and, in some cases, even longer than that. The good news is that you’re unlikely to notice the last stages of healing. As long as your X-rays show that everything is moving in the right direction, you can likely afford to be patient.
Seeing an Oral Surgeon in Palmdale
A bone graft may be an involved procedure, but its benefits are clear. An oral surgeon in Palmdale, CA, can tell you that these surgeries are the key to strengthening your mouth, resulting in better oral health for the rest of your life. At Heritage Oral Surgery & Implant Centers, with locations in Palmdale, Canoga Park, and Valencia, our staff can tell you more about the average recovery time for our patients and what we do to help them through every stage of recovery.

How Successful Are Dental Bone Grafts?

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Dental bone grafts are recommended when people start to lose their jawbone structure. This typically happens either due to age or tooth loss (or a combination of both). Once teeth start to fall out, the roots are no longer there to stimulate bone growth, which will cause the bones to shrink. The more this occurs, the more affected the facial profile will be. Bone grafting has been shown to help people restore their oral health and facial structure. We’ll look at how successful they are if you’re interested in the procedure.

More Than 90% Success Rate
Dental bone grafts in Valencia, CA are typically very successful, though the rates vary across dentists and types of bone grafts used. For instance, an autogenous bone graft is more likely to succeed than an allogenic bone graft. This is because an autogenous bone graft uses the patient’s own bone rather than that of a cadaver. Allogenic bone grafts are usually less painful than autogenous (because they’re less invasive), but it’s also more likely that the patient will reject the bone.

What Affects the Success Rate of a Bone Graft?
There are a few key elements that effect the success rate, including your overall health and the site of the bone graft. In general, you’re more likely to come out on the other side if the graft is in the upper jaw and if you don’t have other medical conditions, such as osteoporosis. The other factor is the expertise of the dental surgeon in Canoga Park, CA. It’s incredibly important to find a professional who has successfully completed bone grafts of every variety.

Oral Surgery in Palmdale, CA
At Heritage Oral Surgery & Implant Centers, with locations in Palmdale, Canoga Park, and Valencia, CA, you can work with a team that specializes in oral surgery. These complex procedures may be recommended for any number of reasons, and it can help to work with a staff that can explain how it all works, so you can make a more confident decision. While there are no risk-free procedures, you can drastically cut back on the odds of rejection or failure when you choose the right practice. Contact us today if you have questions, concerns, or just want a second opinion!

Common Myths Associated with Bone Grafting for Dental Procedures

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Natural shrinkage of the bone structures in the haw can make some dental procedures difficult to carry out. However, bone grafting oral surgery in Valencia may be a viable option. While bone grafts are a common procedure for jaw bone restoration, there are quite a few myths associated with the treatment.

Myth: Bone grafts are only done with dental implants.

Bone grafts are commonly done before dental implants if the patient does not have sufficient bone for anchoring the implant. However, there are other reasons why bone grafts may be recommended. For example, a bone graft may be recommended if bone loss is causing natural teeth to sink lower or if bone damage due to trauma has changed the facial shape.

Myth: Bone grafts create a weakened point in your jaw.

Once the living bone tissue has been placed in your mouth, the bone fuses with the existing material. As long as proper healing occurs, the bone should actually be stronger. By contrast, areas of the jaw that have experienced bone loss can be weak and prone to further deterioration. Bone loss essentially means the bone is shrinking and becoming more porous. Therefore, areas of the jaw affected by bone loss can be more prone to fractures and damage.

Myth: Bone grafts are prone to infection.

It is definitely possible for the bone graft to become infected, but this is rarely an issue in healthy patients. When an infection occurs, this may be a sign that the body is rejecting the graft. Therefore, the procedure may have to be redone, or the implanted bone may need to be removed. However, most patients never have an issue with infection. Before the procedure, the dentist will thoroughly assess your medical condition to make sure you are a good candidate.

Talk to an Experienced Valencia Dentist About Bone Graft Oral Surgery

Whether you are considering implants or suspect you have issues with jawbone deterioration, talk to an experienced oral surgeon in Valencia. At Heritage Oral Surgery and Implant Centers, we have years of experience in most forms of oral surgery, including bone grafts. Reach out to the team to discuss your needs and schedule an appointment.

What is the Process of Bone Grafting?

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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!

What is the Process of Bone Grafting? 

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Dental implants work and survive so well because they are securely secured in the jawbone for optimal support, much like natural teeth. However, in order to take advantage of this incredible technology, you must have enough tooth-supporting bone in your jaw to keep a dental implant in place. Unfortunately, the surrounding bone nearly invariably deteriorates following tooth removal, losing width, height and density, and this process begins practically immediately after tooth loss. The bone that used to surround a lost tooth deteriorates more the longer the tooth remains gone. Thanks to dental bone grafting procedures, you may still be able to getdental implants in Canoga Park, CA.

How Bone Grafting Works

Bone grafting is a small surgical operation performed in the oral surgeon’s office to replace lost bone in the region of the jaw where teeth used to be. A tiny incision in your gum is made to expose the bone underlying it, after which grafting material is applied. The most common grafting material is processed bone, which acts like a scaffold for your body to deposit new bone cells upon. Your body will ultimately absorb the grafting material, which will then be replaced by your own new bone. Grafting materials can be obtained from a variety of places, including your own body. Frequently, however, a special laboratory processes bone from either an animal or human donor to ensure that it is completely sterile and safe for use. Even synthetic grafting material can be used. It’s available in powder, granules, putty or a gel that is injected with a syringe.

The Process of Bone Grafting

The technique for inserting a bone transplant normally only requires local anesthetic. However, oral or IV sedatives might be utilized to produce a more relaxed condition. Because a tiny incision in your gum tissue is required to reach the underlying bone that will receive the graft, you may suffer some discomfort in the region following the treatment; this can typically be treated with over-the-counter anti-inflammatory and/or pain medicines, as well as ice therapy. Though you will quickly feel entirely normal, it may take up to seven months for your body to mature enough for your dental implant to be placed. The time spent waiting permits the healing process to accomplish the intended outcome: optimal support for replacement teeth that look excellent and last a lifetime.

Bone grafting is an important piece of the puzzle when getting dental implants. It may or may not be necessary, depending upon your individual circumstances. Talk to youroral surgeon in Canoga Park, CA to learn more.

Why Would I Need a Bone Graft at the Dentist?

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A bone graft may not seem like a procedure you might receive at the dentist, but it may actually be needed for a variety of reasons. While your teeth aren’t made from bone, your jaw certainly is. Considering this support is what holds the teeth and keeps them strong enough to keep chewing, bone grafts can be exactly what you need to improve your oral health. If you’re considering one, it helps to know not just why you would need one, but what it is and what to expect.

What Is a Dental Bone Graft?

A dental bone graft is a procedure for the jaw to replace lost bone or to add support to existing bone. While bone is usually taken from a different part of your body to make the graft, there are synthetic versions available. The preferred standard will be from either your hip, shin, or the back of the jaw, as it’s generally considered the safest option. A dentist will first make a cut in the jaw and then attach the extra material to the jaw. Pain management can usually be accomplished with ice and over-the-counter pain relievers.

Why Would I Need One?

Tooth loss, gum disease, or dental implants can all affect the amount of bone you have in your jaw. Receding gums can begin to erode the jaw, causing it to weaken under constant pressure from chewing. Or if you need screws attached for the artificial roots of a missing tooth, your jaw will need to be strong enough to handle the pressure. If you use your own bone, it usually encourages the support in your jaw to both accept the new material and heal faster. There are different types of bone grafts available, and your dentist can tell you more about the right one for you.

To a certain extent, bone loss is unavoidable as we age. Some people might need a graft even after taking care of their teeth as well as one could be expected to care for them. The right dentist can make up for this though by adding enough support to reduce pain and keep your jaw healthy and strong.

 

What is Bone Grafting?

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Your jaw bone does more than make your face look strong. It also is an integral piece of the overall health of your teeth and gums. The teeth are connected via your gums, which are connected via your jaw bone. When this bone starts to deteriorate, your teeth may become loose or even fall out. No one wants this to happen, but sometimes it does. When bone loss becomes an issue, your dentist may suggest that you get bone grafting, which can enable you to either save the teeth you have to receive restoration treatments.

What is Bone Grafting?

Bone grafting is a technique where a piece of bone from someplace else is surgically applied to another area that needs more bone. Then the bone is accepted and grows so that more bone is grown in the area that lacked it in the first place.

Where Does the Grafted Bone Come From?

Grafted bone can come from a variety of sources. For dental purposes, the bone may come from another human or it can come from bovine. The vast majority of grafted bone does come from bovine. If you are going to undergo bone grafting, you can talk to your dentist about the source. If you have a preference, you can express that to your dentist so that they can source the bone according to your wishes.

Is Bone Grafting Safe?

Bone grafting has been done in the dentist’s offices for decades. It has been rigorously tested by agencies and determined to be completely safe. There are little to no side effects from bone grafting, and you can be sure that you will suffer no ill side effects. If you have questions about the safety of bone grafting, you can talk to your dentist.

Bone grafting has been known to save people’s dignity and teeth regarding oral health. It’s often a confusing topic, but it’s something that your dentist is highly familiar with. If you have any questions about the safety of bone grafting or how it can help you save your original teeth, please contact your dentist today. We would be happy to answer any questions that you have.