Dental Bone grafting is a surgical method, for patients who are suffering from consequential bone loss near the teeth region. The process helps to fill the space caused due to damaged jawbone and powerfully supports the dental implant procedure.
While performing dental implants, bone’s health is not stable so dental bone grafting becomes essential. If the jawbone’s overall health is proper then bone grafting isn’t compulsory before the dental implant. After bone grafting one has to wait from 6-7 months for the dental implant as bone needs time to grow. When a number of teeth are removed, at that time, bone’s condition worsens and direct dental implants become impossible so this helps.
This procedure sounds very serious and complex surgery but these days, it is not rare, many people undergo this. For people with severe traumatic bone injury or immeasurable tooth decay, dental bone grafting works as a framework. From your body, bone grafts require bone fragments to match and add bone fragments from the human cadaver’s jawbone, to make it thick and defect-free.
WHO NEEDS DENTAL BONE GRAFTING?
- People with missing teeth
- People who have a cyst/tumour.
- People suffered from physical activity accidents
- People suffering from gum diseases
THE TYPES OF DENTAL BONE GRAFTING
This is discovered first and before the dental implants. But this wasn’t appropriate for detailed full teeth support so later dental implants were introduced. Nowadays, dental bone grafting is way too fancy and accurate, regularly carried out by periodontists or oral surgeons. So we have 3 popular types of bone grafting surgery.
- BLOCK BONE GRAFTING
- The catchy thing about block bone grafting is it reduces bleeding, stops gingival recession, decreases trauma, and uncomplicated flap retraction.
- This type is mostly used when a patient is suffering from large jawbone damage. Extra bone is extracted from the behind of the jawbone which is close to the wisdom tooth and placed in the required bone area.
- If that doesn’t work then the bone is taken from the chin. The healing process for block bone grafting takes around 5-7 months.
- The main difference between block bone and socket grafting is block bone works well without xenograft. If performing allogenic or allograft then the bone is taken out from the human’s cadaver. If performing autogenic or autograft then the bone is taken from the patient’s own body. Typically allogeneic is used when a person doesn’t have enough bone in the chin area or the area behind the wisdom tooth.
- SOCKET BONE GRAFTING
Its other name is socket preservation.
- Immediately after plucking tooth/teeth socket bone grafting is performed to conserve and balance the ridged outline and alveolar bone’s proportion.
- In the vacant socket, the bone substance is embedded which is caused due to missing teeth. So far, the socket is the most common type of bone grafting.
- To stop the disintegration of the socket, periodontists generally prefer the donor’s bone to add in the empty socket. For a dental implant, you have to at least wait for 6 months after bone grafting. Xenograft material is generously used for advanced socket bone grafting. In xenografts, bone donors can be animals.
- SINUS BONE GRAFTING
- It has various names such as sinus lift, maxillary augmentation. This procedure focuses on the maxilla ( bone connected to the upper set of teeth).
- So primarily, when your upper teeth are missing this procedure is a rescuer.
- NOVA material is used in this procedure to make it safe and complication-free.
- If the sinus and bone are completely attached to each other or the gap between them is less than required ( less than 4-5mm) then doctors then the bone graft will be needed to form essential space.
This process may need 10-12 months for healing and after that, you can do a dental implant.
WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENS DURING THE BONE GRAFTING PROCEDURE?
- Firstly, damaged pieces of teeth are removed.
- Jawbone will be made ready for the procedure.
- Depending on the severity and to some extent the patient’s preference, the material will be used either from an animal typically from the cow, cadaver, or patient’s own bone.
- This procedure isn’t very simple and quick so 1-2 appointments with an oral surgeon or periodontist are necessary so that you can know about the side effects, total time, equipment, your health condition, etc.
- General or local anesthesia will be used, depending on your age.
- Incisions will be made to add the extra bone. To avoid risks ice packs will be used side by side.
- The duration of the procedure normally depends on the type of the graft but on average, it ranges between 1-2 hours.
AFTER THE DENTAL BONE GRAFTING
- You may feel pain and swelling after the surgery and it is natural. You may get some discomfort due to anesthesia.
- A doctor will give you some painkillers and monitor your oral health after the surgery to note and compare the changes happening.
- Do not touch the surgical area.
- Patients should stop wearing dentures for a month at least.
- Do not skip consultations arranged by a doctor after the procedure.
- Use gauze pads or moistened tea bags, for 30 minutes it will stop the bleeding after 30-40 mins. If it doesn’t run to your dentist.
- Take 2-3 tablets of ibuprofen or acetaminophen every day.
RECOVERY OF DENTAL BONE GRAFTING
- Recovery takes 14-60 days.
- During this period eat soft foods like mashed potatoes, poached or scrambled eggs, pasta, etc. Elude hot drinks and food.
- Quit smoking and alcohol.
- Speak to your surgeon in case you are in a dilemma.
- Use prescribed oral rinse/mouthwash.
SIDE EFFECTS OF DENTAL BONE GRAFTING
- Infection due to donor’s ( animal or cadaver’s bone).
- Nerve destruction
- Anesthesia-related side effects such as nausea, itching, vomiting, muscle aches, sore throat, and dry mouth.
- Blood clotting
COMPLICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH DENTAL BONE GRAFTING
- Some part of bone grafting disappears
- The crack of the mucosa above or around the implants
- Wound splitting
COST OF DENTAL BONE GRAFTING
Insurance rarely covers the estimated cost is $300-$2500, in this approx. The cost of some surgeons may include the cost of anesthesia and other medical check-ups and monitoring. If you talk to an insurance provider then he/she may cover your first consultation. You may have to pay extra bucks out of the pocket for diagnostic tests.
- Which people are not good candidates for bone grafting?
- People with high-level diabetes, cholesterol and BP.
- Pregnant women and women who are in the breastfeeding stage
- People with the weak immune system
- What’s the success rate of dental bone grafting?
The success rate of dental bone grafting ranges from 65%-90%.
- After how many hours one can start eating after bone grafting?
One should be on a liquid diet for the first 12-24 hours and then can begin to eat soft and room temperature food. Also, avoid eating vitamin-c rich and sour/acidic food as it gives pinching sensation in the surgical area.
- For how many days sutures in the mouth hold on after bone grafting?
It remains for about a week or two after bone grafting procedure.