What is bone grafting?
Bone grafting is a type of oral surgery that is often a prerequisite for dental implant surgery. A frequent consequence of losing one or more teeth is reduced bone volume in your jaw. If you experience bone loss in your jaw but still want to replace your original teeth and their roots with dental implants, you can make up for lost bone with a bone graft.
During a bone grafting procedure at Santa Monica Bay Periodontics, your periodontist places artificial bone material or bone minerals from other places in your body into your jawbone. You must wait for some time after your bone grafting surgery to get any other surgeries or procedures because your natural bone needs time to grow around the bone graft, which acts as a scaffold. The grafting material begins as a putty, gel, or powder that is easy to place with a syringe.
Santa Monica Bay Periodontics offers the IntraSpin™ L-PRF™ system, a revolutionary treatment that acts as a band-aid to promote healing after bone graft surgery. This groundbreaking treatment uses materials in your blood to accelerate healing, so you can recover from bone graft surgery sooner.
Which type of bone grafting do I need?
Santa Monica Bay Periodontics offers several different bone grafting procedures with the ultimate goal of restoring the appearance and function of your smile. The practice has a GALILEOS 3D imaging CBCT machine to take 3D images of your tooth-supporting structures before creating your personalized treatment plan.
After an evaluation, your periodontist might recommend:
Sinus lift
A sinus lift reduces the size of the sinus, or the cavity near your nose, by adding a bone graft to your upper jawbone. Sinus lifts are often necessary to make the bone sturdy enough to support an implant.
Ridge augmentation
Your alveolar ridge is the part of your jawbone that supports your teeth. If you lost teeth a long time ago, this part has likely reduced in size. A ridge augmentation bone graft can increase its height and width.
Nerve repositioning
You have a nerve between your lower lip and chin called the alveolar nerve. During bone graft surgery, your periodontist may need to move this nerve to make room for an implant. It is also common to take bone from this area to use for a bone graft.
How should I prepare for bone grafting?
Just like other oral surgeries, bone grafting usually requires some preparation beforehand. Your periodontist might tell you to:
- Attend one or more imaging procedures to plan the surgery
- Avoid eating and drinking for 8-10 hours before the surgery
- Stop smoking as soon as possible before the surgery
- Arrange a ride to and from your appointment if you’re using sedation
Depending on your current level of health, the type of bone graft surgery you need, and other factors, you might need to take other steps to prepare for a successful bone graft.
To find out if you need a bone graft in your upper or lower jaw to support dental implants, call Santa Monica Bay Periodontics or book an appointment online today.
