Procedure Overview
The details of a bone grafting procedure depend on the patient’s individual situation. Factors that determine the approach we take include where the bone grafting is taking place & how much time has passed since the missing tooth was removed. Bone grafting can occur immediately after a tooth extraction if necessary.
Think of a graft as a patch that fills in for missing material. In dental bone grafting, the materials that can be used are the patient’s own bone, donor bone from another person, animal bone, or a synthetic material. In all cases, the grafting material itself is not intended to fill the gap permanently, but to provide a foundation that encourages the patient’s own bone to re-grow into that space.
At the start of the procedure, an incision is made in the gums to expose the bone. Then, the bone surface is prepared & the transplanted material is placed. If your own bone is used, it is usually taken from another part of the jawbone, often near the back in the region of wisdom teeth. Finally, the bone graft is protected by the placement of a collagen membrane & the gums are closed back up with small sutures.
Discomfort after bone grafting is usually reported as minimal by patients. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory painkillers, such as ibuprofen (Advil®), are usually all that’s needed to control pain during the recovery period. Depending on your health situation, we may also prescribe antibiotics as a precaution against infection. After the bone grafting procedure, we will monitor the healing & bone regeneration process. Several months may pass before the regeneration is sufficient to support an implant.