Understanding the Process of Bone Grafting After Tooth Extractions

Losing your adult teeth can have many consequences on your oral health, aside from lowering your self-confidence when you smile. You may even experience challenges when it comes to speaking and chewing, depending on the number of teeth you have lost. Thankfully, there are restorative dental procedures that can help replace your lost teeth. An example is dental implants.

However, when you have lost your teeth, do you know that a bone grafting surgical treatment is necessary before you can think about A restorative procedure? Usually, bone grafting is necessary after tooth extractions and any other kind of tooth loss.

What Is Bone Grafting? 

It is a surgical procedure that focuses on restoring the health of the bone tissue in your oral cavity. A dental expert will use transplanted bone, which is called a bone graft. The graft will then help to repair and rebuild the damaged bones in your oral cavity, usually due to bone tissue degeneration. Bone degeneration happens after one has lost natural teeth.

Technically, the role of the jawbone is to hold your teeth in place. This function remains true from the very first time you grow teeth.

When you lose your adult permanent teeth, therefore, the jawbone remains inactive. This inactivity allows the tissue to break down and disintegrate. Therefore, should you require a tooth replacement procedure requiring dental implants, you cannot get it without a bone grafting surgery.

​Bone grafting after extraction is necessary because it prepares your mouth to receive dental implants. In essence, the surgery helps restore the health of your jawbone.

When Is Bone Grafting Necessary in Dentistry? 

Other than in preparation for getting dental implants, bone grafting is done:

1. When you have development defects in your oral cavity
2. When you have advanced gum disease, that is, Periodontitis. The infection affects even the bone tissue, therefore, causing damage to both your gums and your jawbone.
3. After dental trauma or face injury
4. When you have been without teeth for a long time

What Does A Bone Grafting Surgery Entail? 

It involves taking bone grafts from a human donor or from the back of your jaw to use for restoring the jawbone. Sometimes, the dentist can opt for synthetic bone grafts, which will equally get the job done. How the procedure unfolds also depends on the type of bone grafting surgery you undertake. The process involves the following steps:

1. Sedation and numbing – sedation for bone grafting is paramount because of the invasiveness of the procedure. The medication used will help you remain calm and relaxed. For the most part, you will be at the edge of consciousness, which will prevent you from remembering everything that happens to you during the procedure. Thanks to local anesthesia, you will be comfortable throughout your treatment.
2. Bone grafting – the bone of focus for this procedure is the alveolar bone. It depreciates after tooth loss and can be recreated using bone grafts. The bone graft obtained for your process is usually placed right into the socket of your mouth. In other cases, the block of bone graft is placed then secured in place with small titanium screws.

​Is Bone Grafting Surgery Painful? 

​Bone grafting surgeries can be painful without employing sedation dentistry. However, you will get through your entire procedure without experiencing any pain and discomfort, thanks to sedating drugs and local anesthesia. After your procedure, your dentist may prescribe some pain medication that will help you manage the soreness that comes about after the numbing wears off.

Is Bone Grafting Safe? 

Bone grafting surgeries have been performed several times in dentistry with high success rates. The procedure is considered safe enough to be performed as an outpatient procedure. After your surgery, you will need about 3-5 months to heal properly before any other dental work can be done in your mouth.

However, people recover differently. Some patients may need longer than five months to have the bone graft fuse well with their natural bones. Still, how you care for your mouth is crucial since you do not want to have an infection in your wound. It is why you need antibiotics to prevent any infection thereof. Ensure you adhere strictly to the guidelines your dentist gives you post-surgery.