Dental Bone Graft

How does a dental bone graft work?

Once the bone graft has been placed, it holds space for your own body to do the repair work. In other words, a dental bone graft is like a scaffold on which your own bone tissue can grow and regenerate.

Dental bone grafts can increase your eligibility for dental implants and other restorative treatments.

Who needs a dental bone graft?

This procedure may be recommended if you:

• Are having a tooth extracted
• Plan to replace a missing tooth with a dental implant
• Need to rebuild the jaw before getting dentures
• Have areas of bone loss due to gum (periodontal) disease

What happens after a dental bone graft?

You may have pain, swelling and bruising. These are normal side effects that should diminish in a few days. Symptoms can be managed with pain relievers, and your dentist may give you antibiotics as well.

You might notice small fragments of bone coming out of the site over the first few days. These pieces often resemble grains of salt or sand. This usually isn't a cause for concern, but you can call us to make sure that you're healing as expected.

Though you will probably feel back to normal within a week or two, complete healing can take between three and nine months — sometimes longer. Recovery times depend on the type of graft, the area in which it was placed, and your body's healing capacity.