A bone grafting of teeth is an operation to increase the amount of bone in a particular part of the jaw. This is done when the bone is lost or may need additional support.
Sometimes bone may be extracted from another part of the body and surgically fused with existing bone in the jaw. Occasionally may use artificial bone material.
If additional procedures like tooth implants are required or bone health is in danger, you may need a bone grafting of teeth.
You can learn more about Bone Grafting Of Teeth, the process, and the expected results.
What is a dental bone graft?
The bone grafting of teeth can add the volume and density of your jaws in areas with bone loss. The bone graft material can come from the body (autogenous), or it could be bought by a bank of human tissues (allograft) or from an animal tissues banks (xenograft). The bone graft materials could be artificial (alloplastic) in certain instances.
Who Needs Bone Grafting?
Here are a few of the most frequent situations where bone grafting of teeth may be necessary:
During a Sinus Lift: Dental implants take up more space than the natural tooth root. If an upper tooth is extracted below your nasal sinuses, you must ensure that your sinus lining remains enough to allow implant placement. A sinus lift accompanied by bone grafting material can create enough space to enable implant placement within your jaw. Bone grafting of teeth is nearly always required for this oral and maxillofacial procedure.
During or After a Tooth Extraction: An extracted or lost tooth creates an unfilled space within the jaw. The surrounding bone absorbs (shrinks) and alters the shape of your soft tissue. A socket graft or preservation procedure is when we create the bone inside the space left after the dentist removes the tooth.
Recover of Periodontal Disease: Even if you don’t plan on getting an implant for your teeth or a dental bridge, you may require a graft of bone if your gum tissue has been suffering from periodontitis. Since gum diseases destroy the bone that forms the alveolar ridge, a graft will provide a strong base for your smile.
To Support Neighboring Teeth: Transplanting healthy bone tissue during your bone augmentation procedure can help increase the strength of the teeth adjacent to the area. Because bone loss tends to accelerate over time and time, a bone grafting of teeth can stop or slow down the loss of bone to ensure that you don’t suffer another tooth loss in the future.
If You Don’t Qualify for Dental Implants (because of bone loss): In years past, it was standard to inform prospective patients with dental implants that they were not eligible in the field of a dental implant. Why? Because there wasn’t enough bone to help the grafts. However, a bone grafting of teeth procedure could change the situation. Working with an expert implant dentist and undergoing this minimally-invasive maxillofacial surgical procedure before implant placement will open opportunities to more people than before.
How does a bone grafting of teeth work?
Bone grafting of teeth is usually a minor dental procedure performed in the dentist’s office. This procedure builds new bone in areas of your jaw where there was previously teeth. An incision is made in the gum to expose the bone underneath, then grafting material and other materials are added. The grafting material is usually made from processed bone, which acts as a scaffold around which your body can deposit new bone cells. Your body will eventually absorb the material and replace it with your bone. There are many options for obtaining the grafting material you need. Sometimes it comes from your body. Most of the time, however, it comes from bone from an animal or human donor. This is then processed in a laboratory to ensure it is safe and sterilized. It is also possible to make grafting materials synthetic. It is available in various forms, such as powder, granules (or putty), or a gel that can be injected via a needle.
The Benefits of Dental Bone Grafts
You might wonder if it’s worth getting a procedure for bone grafting of teeth. These are the top 4 benefits of dental grafts.
1. Improves Facial Cosmetics: Your jawbone plays an essential role in your facial beauty. You can improve or restore your appearance by replacing any missing jawbone.
Bone grafting of teeth enhances your appearance by stimulating facial bone structures. So you can regain self-confidence & self-esteem and live a happier lifestyle.
2. Enhance the Use of Dental Appliances: Bone Grafts can also be used to support other dental appliances, such as bridges, crowns, dentures, or implants. This will help each dental appliance perform better over the long term.
3. Provides a Better Chewing Strength: For chewing solid food, a strong jawbone is vital. Chewing your favorite foods will be more difficult if your jaw is weak or has lost bone. Your jawbone will become complete again, and bone grafting of teeth can improve your chewing power.
You will need to wait until your dental implants are placed before you can start chewing. However, the jawbone strength will still be there once you are ready.
4. Avoids Additional Bone Damage: Your jawbone and teeth provide strength to each other. This is why a missing tooth can weaken your jawbone and ultimately impact the strength and stability of your other teeth.
Your jawbone will not shrink further with bone grafting. Bone grafting of teeth can restore your jawbone mass and keep the rest of your teeth and jawbone healthy.
It would be best if you did not wait to have the bone transplant procedure performed. It is easier to save your jawbones and teeth if it’s done quickly.
How do I know if I’ll need a bone graft?
Your dentist will provide advice on whether you require the procedure when you go to them for a visit. There are a variety of reasons you might not have enough bone mass to support an implant safely in place. However, you may require one if you:
- Your teeth are shaky or unstable, or you suffer from gum disease. Gum disease is a condition that causes the breakdown of the bone and gum tissue.
- A tooth was extracted in the past. The gap left by extractions can impact the teeth to either side, and bone may begin to weaken.
- You’ve experienced several mouth infections. This can cause the loss of bone over time.
- There was a bruising oral injury. The injury could have caused the loss of your bone.
Types of Bone Grafts
Many sources of bone grafting materials are utilized to protect or increase the bone of dental implants. Each of these materials is supported by substantial research. The materials are then processed (except autografts that do not require any processing) to make them secure to use, removing the possibility of rejection or disease transmission.
- Autograft: If you’re already aware of the idea of bone grafting of teeth, then an autograft is likely what you’re picturing as the procedure of taking bone from one location within your body and transferring it from one side to the other. This is the only form of bone grafting of teeth that involves making two surgical sites, the one where the bone is taken and the one where it’s deposited.
- Allograft: This is lab-processed human bones from deceased donors that come from the tissue bank.
- Xenograft: This bone-grafting material is made from an animal, such as a cow.
- Alloplasts. This deals with synthetic materials, like calcium phosphate or calcium sodium phosphosilicate (Bioglass).
Are different methods used for bone grafting Of Teeth?
There are various methods used for bone grafting of teeth. These include:
Onlay bone graft
This technique is generally utilized if you lost a tooth long ago. The dentist or surgeon will fix the graft on the side or over the existing bone. The graft will allow them time to heal and your bone to expand into the graft before the implants are set.
Block bone graft
In this procedure, tiny bones are placed in the region that requires strengthening and then fixed by bone screws. After the bone graft is healed, the screws are removed, and the implants are placed.
Particulate bone graft
This method uses tiny bits of spongy, compact bone matter that quickly joins your bone. It can heal faster than other methods of bone grafting of teeth.
Why are bone grafts necessary?
The basis of the dental implant is bone. For a dental implant to be effective and long-lasting, there must be enough bone mass in the jaw for the implant to be placed. Many factors can influence the effectiveness of a dental implant, but the essential element is Osseointegration. Osseointegration happens when biocompatible materials like the titanium implant heal and forms a “bond with a bone’. If there isn’t enough bone mass, the process will not be able to take place, and the implant could fail.
The challenge that dental surgeons have to face is that a lot of patients seeking dental implants also suffer from loss of bone. One of the most frequent causes of bone loss is tooth loss. When a tooth loses or has been removed, the bone that was once a part of the recess of the tooth disappears due to the tooth’s absence. The rate at which bone loss occurs is different, but it will happen unless a procedure or special care is implemented to minimize or stop the adverse effects.
A patient seeking a tooth implant who suffers the loss of bone may require an additional procedure for boosting the volume of bone, also known as the bone block graft or graft. It is important to note that not all patients are fit for bone grafting of teeth, and it is determined based on a case-by-case basis.
How do you evaluate bone mass?
Are Bone Grafting of teeth Painful?
Bone Grafting of teeth procedure that does not involve the harvesting of bone from a patient’s body is a minor procedure.
The patient will be asleep during the procedure, and there won’t be any discomfort until your anesthesia is gone. The pain will then be manageable using over-the-counter painkillers for the next few days.
Prescription-strength pain medications may also be appropriate. Based on how much work is being performed, there could be discomfort for several weeks of the recovery.
If the bone material comes from your body, recovery may be more painful as the surgery occurs at two locations, like your hip or jaw.
What Happens After the Bone Grafting of teeth Procedure?
Once the procedure is completed, you’ll receive antibiotics to stop the spread of infection. In some instances, it is recommended to take pain medications also. Most patients who receive bone grafts have no pain and can function normally for as long as they are taking the antibiotics.
Your dentist must also ensure that the bone graft melds with the bones already in your mouth. The truth is that your mouth is unique from all others, and there isn’t a precise time frame to determine the speed at which this occurs.
It is not unusual that it takes three months to a full calendar year for your bone grafts to fuse with the bones that are naturally present inside your mouth. You should visit your dentist regularly for checkups until your dentist can determine if you’re ready for implants.
Can Bone Grafting of teeth Fail After The Surgery?
The quick response to the question, unfortunately, the answer is yes. Bone grafts are surgical procedures and aren’t 100% reliable. They may fail if performed by a novice surgeon, whereas experienced surgeons may occasionally encounter a bone graft failure. A bone graft could get ill or fail due to issues in your health or aftercare. The graft may fail when the substance used to construct the bone graft has been infected by bacteria. If the instruments employed are contaminated, there is a chance that may pass on the infection to the person.
Bone grafts are also prone to failure when the instructions for the aftercare regimen are not adhered to. The post-operative methods and procedures your dentist recommends must be strictly adhered to. A lack of care after surgery can lead to the bone graft failing and further treatments becoming required. But, bone grafts could fail due to a variety of reasons. Therefore, you shouldn’t feel ashamed if you believe your bone graft is failing. It’s not your fault, but you should have any potential failure evaluated as soon as possible.
What are the Signs of Dental Bone Graft Failure?
Although it is rare, it is still a good idea to know the signs that your dental procedure for bone grafting of teeth has failed. The most crucial aspect of any dental process is ensuring that the bone graft area has been thoroughly cleaned. Also, make sure you have removed all inflamed tissues. The infection may occur if this is not done, and your body could reject the graft.
The following are some other causes of failure that are common:
- Poor blood supply
- Poor physical health
- Allergy
- Tissue damage
- Autoimmune disorders
What Causes a Dental Bone Graft to Fail?
Poor post-surgery care is the main reason bone grafts don’t work. Patients must follow all instructions from their dentist. The chance of failure increases if the area is damaged. Failure could be caused by the infected area not receiving enough blood, or there is too much material movement that the area does not fully heal.
If there is an infection within the area of the bone graft, it can also fail. Dentists must perform the procedure using clean equipment and bone graft materials free from disease.
What Can I Eat After Bone Grafting of teeth Surgery?
In the days following the procedure to graft your teeth, you’ll need to drastically alter your diet. The specifics of your food regimen will depend on the severity of the surgery, and therefore it may differ for every individual. Certain patients might be limited to eating only cold liquids during the first few days after the procedure. This could include various cold soups, juices, smoothies, milkshakes, and other drinks. Other options are limited to soft food items at room temperatures like oatmeal, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, pureed fruits, or pudding. The goal is to avoid eating food items that require chewing. One difference that applies to all patients who undergo the procedure of a bone grafting of teeth is to stay away from eating hard or sharp foods for some time following the process. This is to ensure that there is no bacterial build-up at the graft site.
Why Does Tooth Loss Cause Bone Loss?
The kind of bone that is most often in trouble is the alveolar bone. The alveolar bone is responsible for one thing to support and to hold your teeth. If you don’t have teeth, the alveolar bone begins to shrink due to lack of activity.
Additionally, the jawbone gets reinforced and reshaped every when you chew. The loss of alveolar bone can quickly cause jawbone loss, too.
Keep in mind that dental implants rely on osseointegration for work. This means that the implant must connect to the bone to provide a sturdy base to support the dental crown. If no bone is available, the placement of an implant is impossible.
