Bone Grafts for Dental Implants 

Are hearing the words “you need a bone graft” frightening to you?  If so, you’re not alone.  Many of our Lewisville, Coppell, and DFW patients become apprehensive when they hear the term being used regarding their dental care.

Luckily, there really is no need to worry. Bone grafting is a very simple, highly successful treatment that Dr. Hiral Patel and her team perform on a regular basis.

What Is A Bone Graft?

Bone grafting is a surgical procedure that replenishes your jaw with the right amount of bone. Since bone supports your gums, teeth, and facial structures, it’s important to have enough of it. Grafts help restore lost bone structure.

Why Do You Need a Bone Graft with Your Dental Implant?

Your bone is what holds our implant in place. Having dense, healthy bone and plenty of it is crucial for the success of your dental implant. If you’re lacking that solid foundation, then we may need to perform a bone grafting procedure. We will take a digital x-ray to determine if you’re going to require this extra step.

Why You Have Bone Loss

You may have a lack of bone from having teeth pulled in the past. When you have a tooth removed, the jaw bone in that area begins to slowly deteriorate over time. In other cases, an injury could have caused damage to your jaw bone, an infection that was caused by gum disease, or a tooth abscess could have deteriorated it. 

The Bone Grafting Procedure

To perform this procedure, we will use sterile donor bone in a powder form.

If your implant is replacing a multi-rooted tooth like a molar, then when we remove your tooth it leaves a void in your jaw bone where the roots were.  Our dentist will pack these areas with bone then place sutures to seal it in.

What Happens After A Bone Graft?

Immediately after your bone graft procedure, you may experience some discomfort (especially if it was accompanied by an extraction.)  If necessary, take the prescription pain medication that we gave you. For mild discomfort, ibuprofen or Aleve should suffice.

To soothe the soreness from your gums, you can rinse your mouth with a warm saltwater solution several times a day.

A couple of weeks after your bone graft is placed, you’ll return to the office to remove your sutures and x-ray the area to check the bone. It will be a few months though before the bone graft has fully integrated with old and new bone. You’ll visit the office periodically; once we determine that there is a solid foundation, Dr. Patel will proceed with placing your dental implant.

Bone Graft in Lewisville & Coppell 

If you live in Lewisville, Coppell, or the Dallas/Fort Worth area and are looking for a dentist who can both place your bone graft and dental implant, then give Solid Smiles a call. Dr. Hiral Patel looks forward to being a part of your tooth replacement journey! Flexible financing options are available and most dental insurance plans are accepted.