Dental implants have become a popular solution for those who are missing teeth or have severely damaged teeth that require extraction. While dental implants have a high success rate, some patients may require bone grafting before the implant procedure can take place.
Bone grafting is a surgical procedure that involves transplanting bone tissue to an area where bone loss has occurred. In the context of dental implants, bone grafting is used to create a stable base for the implant to fuse with the jawbone.
So, do you need bone grafting for dental implants? It depends on several factors and your dentist would be the right person to guide you toward this. However, shared below are the most common factors that are taken into consideration:
- The amount of available jawbone: When a tooth is lost or extracted, the surrounding bone tissue begins to resorb, or shrink. If there is not enough jawbone remaining to support a dental implant, bone grafting may be necessary.
- The location of the missing tooth: The front teeth are often easier to implant because there is typically more bone in that area. However, if the missing tooth is in the back of the mouth, where there is less bone, bone grafting may be necessary.
- The density of the remaining jawbone: Even if there is enough bone remaining to support a dental implant if the bone is not dense enough, bone grafting may be necessary to strengthen the area.
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The patient’s overall health: Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes or osteoporosis, can affect the body’s ability to heal and regenerate bone tissue. In these cases, bone grafting may be necessary to ensure the success of the implant procedure.
If bone grafting is necessary, the procedure will typically be performed several months before the implant procedure. During the bone grafting procedure, bone tissue will be harvested from another area of the body, such as the hip or jaw, or from a donor source. The bone tissue will then be transplanted to the area where the dental implant will be placed.
After the bone grafting procedure, the patient will need to wait several months for the new bone tissue to fuse with the existing bone. Once the area has healed, the dental implant procedure can take place.
Finally, who may need a dental bone graft?
- If having a tooth extraction & plans to replace the missing tooth with a dental implant
- If need to rebuild the jaw before getting dentures
- If the bone loss has occurred due to gum periodontal
