What is bone grafting?

Bone grafting is a surgical procedure, in which deficient areas of jaw bone are reconstructed with bone grafting material in order to prepare the jaw bone for accommodation of dental implants.

In this procedure, bone grafting material are used to bulk up the existing jaw bone to be able to support dental implants.

How would I know if I’m a candidate for bone grafting procedure?

Your dentist or oral surgeon will evaluate your existing jaw bone and based on the available tissue, will inform you if you have enough bone for placement of dental implants. Usually a 3D x-ray or CBCT is taken during the consultation appointment to identify the existing available bone volume.

Where is the bone grafting material obtained from?

Depending on the amount of bone that needs to be reconstructed the bone grafting material may come from the patient themselves or from other sources such as cadaver bone. Usually the bone obtained from each individual is the ideal bone grafting material, but in certain cases, cadaver bone (also called an allograft) is a suitable option for bone grafting.

What happens to cadaver bone after it is grafted?

The cadaver bone provides a matrix for your stem cells to regenerate new bone. The cadaver bone particles will completely dissolve (resorb) in 4-6 months and are replaced by your own natural bone.

What is the typical recovery after bone grafting procedure?

Initial recovery includes 3-5 days of swelling and tenderness at the site of surgery. Typically patients will have multiple sutures (stitches) that are dissolvable and will resorb in approximately 10-14 days after surgery. It is recommended that ice packs be applied immediately after surgery to minimize the amount of swelling that occurs. There may be small amount of bruising at the site of surgery as well. This bruising will typically disappear fully by 7 days after surgery. Oral analgesics like Tylenol and Ibuprofen are excellent pain medications that can help alleviate any discomfort after bone grafting surgery. Typically, Dr. Mobini will follow up with you 2 weeks and 4 weeks after surgery. It will typically take 6-8 months for the bone grafting material to solidify into mature bone. At that point, you will likely undergo another CBCT to evaluate the results of bone grafting procedure and get ready for planning the implant procedure. Call us to schedule your consultation today.