A dental bone graft rebuilds jawbone volume that has been lost due to tooth extraction, gum disease, or injury. Graft material is placed in the deficient area where it integrates with the existing bone over several months. Bone grafting is most commonly performed to create enough bone for a dental implant to anchor into securely.
Key Takeaways
A dental bone graft restores lost jawbone so a dental implant has a stable foundation. It’s a routine preparatory procedure that heals over two to four months.
The words “bone graft” sound more alarming than the procedure typically warrants. For most patients, it’s a straightforward step in the implant process.
Why Bone Grafting Is Needed
When a tooth is removed or falls out, the jawbone beneath it no longer receives the stimulation that tooth roots provide through daily chewing. The body responds by gradually resorbing that bone. Within months to years, significant volume can be lost.
A dental implant is a titanium post that integrates directly into the jawbone. It needs adequate bone depth and width to anchor properly. If bone loss has occurred at the implant site, placing the implant without first rebuilding the bone typically leads to implant failure. A bone graft rebuilds that volume so the implant has a stable foundation.
Why Would a Dentist Recommend Bone Grafting?
Bone grafting is recommended when the jawbone at a treatment site lacks sufficient volume or density to support a dental implant, when gum disease has caused bone loss around teeth that need to be stabilized, or when bone loss occurred after an extraction and wasn’t addressed at the time. It’s primarily a preparatory step for implant placement, not a standalone treatment in most cases.
What the Procedure Involves
Graft material is placed in the area of bone deficiency. Sources include the patient’s own bone (autograft), donor bone from a tissue bank (allograft), animal-derived bone mineral (xenograft), or synthetic bone-substitute materials. Each type has appropriate use cases based on the size of the defect and clinical goals.
The graft is covered with a collagen membrane to protect it during healing. The area is sutured and left to heal. Over two to four months, the graft material is gradually replaced by the patient’s own new bone. Once healing is confirmed, implant placement can proceed.
The procedure is done under local anesthetic in the dental office. Sedation options are available for patients who want additional comfort.
What Happens If You Don’t Get a Bone Graft?
An implant placed in bone with insufficient volume is likely to fail because it can’t achieve stable integration with the surrounding tissue. In some situations, waiting too long means the bone loss progresses to the point where even a graft can no longer create a viable implant site. Addressing bone loss promptly preserves options that delay will eliminate.
Bone Grafting at Image Dental
Image Dental has an in-house oral surgeon who performs bone grafting alongside the rest of the implant process. No outside referral is needed. Everything happens under one roof.
If you’ve been told you need a bone graft before an implant, or if you want to understand your options after tooth loss, schedule a consultation with our team at Image Dental in Stockton. We’ll walk you through exactly what your situation requires.
