Bone Grafting
You can perfect your smile with dental implants. But, in order to receive implants, you need a strong jaw. This may require a bone graft augmentation.
Types of Bone Grafts
Autograft
-Utilizes bone from another part of the patient’s body (i.e. chin, knee)
-Living cells allows for natural bone regeneration
-A single procedure for harvesting bone and a second procedure to repair the jawbone
Allograft
-Bone harvested from a cadaver (bone banks)
-Offers structural support
-Cannot regenerate
Xenograft
-Bone harvested from an animal (i.e. cow)
-Offers structural support
-Cannot regenerate
Treatment
If you have a weak jawbone, you must get a bone graft in order to support the anchored dental implant. While under local or general anesthesia, the bone grafting procedure can begin. Your specialist makes a tiny incision in your jawbone so that it can be filled with the bone graft material.
Once the void has been filled, the specialist will secure the graft in place with screws and pins. The treated area will be bandaged and stitched back up for future dental implant placement. Please, take medication and antibiotics that were prescribed by your doctor to alleviate pain and bacteria.
