When you first visit your dentist for your implant consultation, they’ll examine your mouth and let you know whether you’re a good candidate for dental implant treatment. However, not every patient starts off as a good candidate from the first appointment. In some cases, preliminary treatments like a sinus lift, gum disease treatment, or a bone graft are necessary to ensure the long-term success of your new replacement teeth. Bone grafts in particular are incredibly common before dental implants in Port Orange, and here’s why!
What is a Dental Bone Graft?
A bone graft is a common procedure that can be used in various areas of your body to help strengthen bone structure. When it comes to getting dental implants, one of the key steps of the process to ensure its success is for the implants to fuse with the jawbone, a process known as osseointegration. If this doesn’t happen, the treatment will be unsuccessful.
The procedure itself is relatively straightforward, involving the placement of donor or artificial bone material to the area of the jaw that has sustained erosion. The window your dentist or oral surgeon used to insert the graft in the gumline will be closed, and it can take between three and 12 months for the graft to fully heal and take.
Why Do You Need a Bone Graft Before Dental Implants?
Bone grafts are typically recommended before dental implant surgery in three common cases:
- When a patient has lived with missing teeth or a traditional restoration for awhile, so the jawbone has eroded due to a lack of blood flow and stimulation from tooth roots in areas of the mouth.
- When a patient has sustained trauma or an injury that has resulted in some of the bone being lost.
- Or lastly, if gum disease has led to the erosion of the supportive gum and bone structures of the teeth.
Your dentist will examine your mouth thoroughly during your consultation and let you know whether any of these scenarios applies to your situation, and how they can ensure lasting, successful results.
What Can Happen if You Don’t Get a Bone Graft Before Implants?
If you require a bone graft before getting dental implants, it’s essential that you receive it. If you don’t, your jawbone won’t be dense enough for the implant posts to integrate with them, which will lead to the failure of your procedure. Ultimately, this would mean that you went through all of the trouble to restore your smile, only to not get the lasting results you desire!
With preparatory treatments like a bone graft, your dentist can dramatically increase your chances of being able to enjoy a fully functional, natural-looking and -feeling grin for years to come. Although a bone graft can lengthen your overall treatment timeline, the final results are well worth the extra recovery time!
About the Author
Dr. Rolfes has pursued advanced training in dental implant planning and restoration, cosmetic smile design, and a number of additional specialty courses that makes him an excellent choice for patients looking to rebuild their smiles. He partners with expert specialists and dental laboratories on complex cases to ensure his patients are able to enjoy ideal results with dental implants. For questions or to schedule a consultation, visit Water’s Edge Dental’s website or call 386-761-5883.