Dental implants are an excellent tooth replacement option. Unfortunately, not all of our Phoenix, Arizona patients will qualify to get this treatment completed. Implants rely heavily on a sufficient amount of bone to stay in place. As such, if you don’t have enough bone to support them, then initially getting an implant may not be a viable solution for you. Luckily, there is a procedure known as bone grafting that can solve this problem and make implants possible.
Why You Don’t Have Enough Bone
Your bone loss may have occurred over time. As we age, like other things in the human body, our jaw bone thins. This is especially true if you have a tooth pulled. As soon as the tooth is removed from the socket, the bone that remains starts to deteriorate and shrink away. Having an abscessed tooth also causes bone loss because the infection attacks the bone.
Candidates for Bone Grafting
A good candidate for bone grafting in someone that has enough bone loss that they don’t qualify for a dental implant. The individual also has to be in good overall health and physically able to go through the bone grafting and dental implant procedure.
The Bone Grafting Procedure
Most often, bone grafting is done immediately after a tooth is pulled. The grafting material is packed into the hollow sockets that the roots left behind.
Bone grafting can also be done to raise the sinus cavity and hold it in place so there’s enough height for an implant.
If you’re missing a lot of bone due to having a tooth previously pulled, or because of a bad infection, we can open the gum tissue to gain access to the bone and pack the area with grafting material.
Depending on the specifics of your procedure you may or may not need sutures.
After Your Bone Graft Procedure
Once your bone grafting procedure is completed, your healing time will begin. Your body will do the work of merging the grafted bone with the natural bone. In turn, the stimulation will help produce more natural bone around it.
For the first few days immediately following your bone grafting procedure, you can rinse your mouth with a mixture of warm salt water a few times a day. If sutures were placed, you may have to return to the office in about two weeks to get them removed. We may ask that you visit the office periodically throughout your recovery for us to x-ray the area and check on the progression of the bone integration. After about two months or more, the bone should be dense enough to proceed with your implant placement.
Learn More About Bone Grafting
For more information about bone grafting and how it can make Phoenix dental implants possible for you, we invite you to see Dr. B of Central Valley Dentistry. We can guide you through every step, from having your tooth removed, your bone graft placed, your implant inserted, and your final restoration installed. Visit us today to see why we’re the number one choice for bone grafting and dental implants in Phoenix, Arizona.
