A bone graft is a medical technique where bone is removed from one location and placed in another location. In dentistry, the most common reason a bone graft is utilized is to restore tooth supporting bone back to its original state.
This is important for many reasons. When bone supporting material deteriorates due to tooth loss, your jaw can suffer and ultimately its strength and rigidity.
Understanding The Process Of A Bone Graft
A bone graft is a three-step process. First, your mouth is numbed using a local anesthetic. This will make sure the bone grafting process is as comfortable as possible. Second, a small incision is made in the upper part of your mouth where bone will be taken from. After the bone is removed, we will close the incision. Last, the bone taken from underneath the incision will be affixed to site where bone loss has occurred.
The bone grafting process can take quite a while to heal from, but it’s important that your bone graft heals properly. Otherwise, your bone graft may fail and need to be reattempted. The best way to recover from a bone graft is to follow our instruction post-operation. In the early stages of recovery, you will not be able to brush or floss, but you will gain that ability over time. We will instruct you on how to take care of your mouth in the meantime.
If you have any more questions about the recovery process from bone grafting, please let us know. You can call us at our office and talk to us or schedule an appointment for a consultation if you feel you need more in depth information. We can give you any of the information that we have gathered through our years of experience to make sure your recovery process is as quick as possible.
