Hearing you need a bone graft can be stressful. However, there’s nothing to worry about. This quick, outpatient procedure increases the volume and density of your jaw to support dental restorations (like dental implants) or to keep bone loss from worsening.
At Gulf Coast Periodontics & Implants, Dr. Caesar Sweidan and Dr. Laura Smith use bone grafts to help patients grow and regenerate bone tissue. In this blog, we explain dental bone grafts and explore the four most common types.
A dental bone graft is an oral procedure that treats lost or thinning bone tissue. We might recommend one if you want dental implants but don’t have enough bone to support them or are at risk of bone loss due to tooth removal or another dental procedure.
During a bone graft, we implant a small piece of natural or synthetic bone tissue in your upper or lower jaw. Once placed, the bone graft acts as a scaffold, encouraging the growth of new and healthy bone tissue.
There are four main types of dental bone grafts. Our team might recommend:
We prescribe a socket preservation bone graft after tooth removal. Once a permanent tooth is removed from its socket, the underlying bone begins deteriorating. Unfortunately, there’s no way to replace the bone after it disappears, so intervention is crucial.
During socket preservation, we implant bone tissue into the empty socket, spurring the production of new and healthy bone tissue.
We prescribe ridge bone grafting if you lost a permanent tooth long ago. Since the alveolar ridge wears down after any type of tooth loss, the bone must be restored to support dental implants and other restorations.
During ridge bone grafting, we implant bone tissue into your empty tooth socket. We sew your gum tissue over the bone graft, triggering your body’s healing process.
After treatment, your body typically takes 3-4 months to create new bone tissue.
Our team might recommend a block bone graft if you’re missing several teeth in a row or have significant bone loss due to facial trauma, a misaligned jaw, or severe periodontal disease.
During a block bone graft, we take healthy bone tissue from your chin or lower jaw and place it over an area of thinning bone tissue. Once placed, the block graft promotes the growth of new bone tissue, preventing bone loss from worsening.
We recommend a sinus lift bone graft if you need dental implants in your upper jaw.
During a sinus lift, we make a small incision in your upper jaw and place a bone graft in the space between your gum tissue and the sinus membrane. After the graft is placed, we sew your gums over the graft, where it spurs the growth of new and healthy bone tissue.
Sinus lifts take a little bit longer to heal than other bone grafts. However, most patients can receive dental implants 6-9 months after the procedure.
To determine the dental bone graft that best meets your needs, we complete an oral exam and take dental X-rays. We use the X-rays to assess your bone quality, determine the extent of your bone loss, and identify the graft placement site.
After gathering that information, we make personalized treatment recommendations.
Consider a bone graft if you’re missing permanent teeth, have severe gum disease, or need dental implants. Contact Gulf Coast Periodontics & Implants in Gulfport, Mississippi, to schedule an appointment today!
