Bone Graft for Tooth Implants
When you hear the term “bone graft” your initial reaction may be fearful and that’s okay but it’s not as scary as you may think! Bone grafting paves the way for some beautiful dental things to happen! Here is some information to hopefully put your mind at ease if you are trying to learn about bone graft for tooth implants in Coral Springs. Today, dental bone graft can be an essential and necessary part for any dental implants process.
It is important to understand why a bone graft tooth is needed prior to an implant placement. When a tooth is pulled, many times the area that fills in the recent extraction site is a low-quality bone that may not be able to accept the implant. In addition to this, many times after an extraction there may not be sufficient quantity of bone. For these reasons, a bone graft in Coral Springs is needed to prepare the missing tooth site for a future implant.
The single most important thing to remember is that your jaw bone is what holds your teeth in place. The roots of your teeth are surrounded by bone and attached to ligaments and other surrounding structures. When a tooth is removed, the bone surrounding the vacancy no longer has anything to support. As times passes, the bone will slowly erode and eventually a hollow indentation will form.
Trying to place an implant or a bridge in an area where the bone and gum levels are lower than that of the surrounding tissue levels will not only look weird but will also tremendously shorten the longevity of such restorative appliances.
When a tooth is too badly damaged to restore using traditional restorative measures (filling or a crown), ensuring that you do not lose excessive bone is key and this can be done by getting a simple bone graft surgery. Ideally, your general Coral Springs dentist or an oral surgeon will remove the damaged tooth and place demineralized, sterile human bone granules immediately following the removal of the tooth. A collagen plug is then placed to protect the granules and the area is stitched. This packing in of the bone granules allows for your own bone to grow in the tooth socket and preserve the area for future restorative plans and does not add to your recovery time.
If the tooth or teeth in question were removed a few years ago, there will most likely be some bone loss in the area and a slightly more involved bone grafting surgery would most likely need to be performed. A small incision is made in the gum to expose the area where the tooth is missing and is prepared for placement of demineralized bone granules in order to build up the socket. A collagen plug is then placed to seal in the granules and the area is stitched.
Initial healing time for either dental bone graft surgery is about 2 to 4 weeks with minimal to moderate discomfort and it can take 3 to 6 months before a solid bone mass formed. Although bone grafting can be an extensive procedure, it’s a temporary procedure that can be the framework to bringing you a lifetime of joy.
After bone grafting treatment, our dentists will give you complete instructions about what to do in after surgery. If you have any questions or concerns on bone grafting for dental implants, please give us a call today at (954)-314-8354. Also, contact us to learn more about dental insurance plans to cover the cost of bone grafting, dental implants and other various dental treatments!