How Bone Grafting May Enhance Your Dental Implant

Dental implants can restore your smile and confidence, but you need sufficient healthy bone tissue to hold those implants in place. For many, bone grafting is the first step in achieving a renewed smile that can last a lifetime.

If you’re considering dental implants, you’re probably excited at the prospect of improving your smile and dental health. Implants offer the chance to address missing teeth permanently.

That’s a vast improvement over all other options, which is why the team at R&J Dental proudly offers top-quality implants to residents of the greater San Antonio, Texas, area.

Habib Rahemtulla, DDS, has extensive experience in dental implantation and adjunct therapies. He works closely with you to determine the best possible treatment plan.

In some cases, that includes bone grafting in preparation for dental implants.

Healthy bone is the anchor for dental implants

Dental implants are a permanent solution for one or more missing teeth. They aren’t held in place with screws or other attachments. Instead, they are surgically implanted into the jawbone, where they form a natural bond with your bone cells.

For this process to occur, you must have enough healthy bone tissue for the implanted metal post to reach. If you’ve had missing teeth for quite a while, you’ve probably lost a significant portion of your jawbone to a process called resorption, where your body slowly breaks down your bone tissue over time.

Resorption causes the “sunken in” mouth appearance typical among people who’ve lost most or all of their natural teeth. Once that bone wears away, your body won’t produce new bone tissue in that area.

How does bone grafting work?

Bone grafting works by adding new bone tissue to your existing jawbone. There are several options when sourcing this new bone.

An autograft uses bone tissue from your own body. That bone is usually harvested from your jaw but can also come from your hip or another location. An allograft uses bone tissue from another person, often a cadaver.

Xenografts use bone tissue from different species, like a cow, pig, or even coral from the ocean. Finally, alloplasts use synthetic material as bone grafts.

Bone grafting is oral surgery, so you must share the full details of your health history with Dr. Rahemtulla, including a detailed list of any medications and supplements you’re taking.

How much time will bone grafting add to my dental implant treatment plan?

Your body needs time to heal after bone grafting. The procedure only places the graft material on top of your existing bone tissue. Your body does the rest by forming connections with the graft to create a strong and durable bond.

It can be frustrating to wait when you’ve chosen to move forward with dental implants. However, a relatively short waiting period will reward you with a lifetime of strong and healthy smiles when it comes to bone grafting.

When you come in for your initial consultation, Dr. Rahemtulla will assess your bone tissue to determine whether you need grafting. If so, he explains all available options and discusses what you can expect regarding timelines.

As with all forms of oral surgery, following the postoperative instructions can help shorten your recovery time and avoid side effects like infection.

Be sure to ask any questions that arise during your treatment, and begin looking forward to the completion of your dental implant process.

When you’re ready to begin, booking a visit at R&J Dental is as easy as a quick phone call or a few clicks online. Take one step closer to your ideal smile today!