Bone Grafting

When you’ve lost bone in your jaw due to aging or lack of stimulation, you’ll need a bone graft. At Contemporary Dental Care of Mt. Vernon in Mount Vernon, Ohio, Chris Martin, DDS, Judy Peng, DDS, and the team perform bone grafts before dental implant placements to ensure the restoration can adhere properly. If you’ve been told you need bone grafting, reach out to the office or use this website to book a consultation online.

What is bone grafting?

Dental bone grafting restores bone in your jaw where any bone loss has occurred. Bone grafts may come from your own body or a tissue bank. In some cases, bone grafts come from synthetic materials. 

When placed, the bone graft adds volume and stability to your jaw. It creates a base on which your tissue can regenerate and grow. 

Who needs bone grafting?

Bone grafting most commonly occurs when you have insufficient bone in your jaw to support a dental implant. Other reasons you might undergo dental bone grafting are because of:

• Periodontal disease
• Extracted teeth 
• Years of wearing dentures, or dental bridges
• Trauma resulting in a missing or broken tooth
• Developmental abnormalities
• Osteomyelitis (bacterial infection)
• Misalignment

Lost bone in your jaw can lead to weakened teeth, change your face shape, and interfere with speech and the ability to chew. 

How does bone grafting work?

During bone grafting, your dentist takes bone from one place and puts it in another. You’ll discuss ahead of time whether the bone graft will come from your own body or a tissue bank. 

During the procedure, your provider numbs the treatment area with a local anesthetic. They then make a small incision in your gum line to expose the jawbone. Once the area is fully cleaned of all possible infection, the dentist places the grafting material. They stitch your gum back up to start the healing and fusion process. 

Immediately after the graft, you will have some pain and swelling. Control these symptoms with over-the-counter pain medications, which should resolve within a couple of days. 

You’ll start to feel normal after about a week or two, but your graft is not fully healed. Expect it to take as long as 6-9 months for complete healing to occur. The team at Contemporary Dental Care of Mt. Vernon regularly evaluates your bone graft’s status and determines when you’re ready for any further dental work. 

If you’ve been told you need a bone graft, make an appointment at Contemporary Dental Care of Mt. Vernon today. Call or use the online tool to schedule your visit.

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