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Dental implants are unique among the various teeth restoration treatments because of the way that they are bonded to your jawbone, just like your natural teeth are. Through a process called osseointegration, your dental implants are accepted by your body as natural parts of your oral anatomy. This process is only possible because dental implants are made from titanium, which your body doesn’t recognize as a foreign material.
Naturally, for this process to work, it is important that your jawbone is strong enough to provide the foundation needed to support dental implants. This can be a difficult standard to meet because it turns out that your jawbone actually begins to melt away after you lose a tooth. This happens because it is the vibrations caused by food impacting with your teeth that provide the stimulation your jawbone needs to stay healthy. These vibrations travel down your tooth roots and into your jawbone. When you lose a tooth, you are also losing a vital source of this needed stimulation.
Suffering from jawbone deterioration doesn’t necessarily mean that you are now unable to pursue treatment with dental implants. Fortunately, it is possible for us to restore your jawbone using bone grafting.
What is Bone Grafting?
Bone grafting is a supplementary procedure that is used to apply new bone tissue to the deficient areas of your jawbone, which are preventing you from moving forward with dental implant treatment. There are various different ways that we can go about this procedure. The three most common procedures in use today include:
- Allograft: This method of bone grafting uses bone taken from a bone bank, which is a special medical warehouse that contains bone tissue taken from people and certain animals. This is the most commonly used procedure.
- Synthetic: If an allograft is not a treatment option for you, then synthetic bone tissue may be used. This bone tends to be made from hydroxyapatite though there are other materials that can work.
- Autologous Bone Grafts: This final method of bone grafting takes bone samples from another part of your body, usually the hipbone, and grafts it to the weakened areas of your jawbone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the bone grafting process safe?
Bone grafting treatment is extremely safe. Modern safeguards have made rejection of a graft and the risk of infection highly unlikely. In rare cases, the body may dissolve a bone graft faster than it can meld with your existing bone matter, in which case a second graft may be necessary.
The vast majority of bone graft procedures are completed without complication and achieve the desired results for the patient. We will take every precaution to ensure the safety and reliability of your bone graft treatment.
How long does the bone grafting process usually take?
Most bone grafting procedures are completed in under an hour. However, the exact length of your bone graft procedure will depend on your individual needs and circumstances. Dr. Major will let you know how long you can expect your treatment to take.
Will my bone grafting procedure be painful?
You will experience no pain during your bone grafting procedure. Using local anesthesia, our team will ensure that you won’t feel a thing during your treatment. If you suffer from dental phobia or anxiety, IV sedation is available to make your bone graft procedure totally stress-free.
During your recovery after receiving a bone graft, you can manage any healing pains with over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication. Talk to Dr. Major about any concerns you have about pain, and don’t hesitate to contact us if you feel you’re experiencing undue discomfort during your recovery.
The Smile of Your Dreams is a Treatment Away
Our Bryan and College Station, TX area patients have found that the results possible with dental implants more than make up for the amount of time the treatment may take. Not only can dental implants fill the unattractive spaces left behind in your smile by missing teeth, but they can also prevent any negative oral conditions from appearing. If you would like to achieve the smile that you have always wanted, please contact us and schedule a no-obligation consultation with dental implant provider Dr. Chuck Majors today. We look forward to helping you achieve the smile of your dreams soon!
