What is Bone Grafting in Dentistry?

What is bone grafting in dentistry and why is it used? Let’s find out!

Tooth loss and gum disease both have the potential to result in bone loss in your jawbone, leaving you with sagging facial features and complicating dental treatments such as dental implants. However, it’s possible for a bone that’s been lost to be built up with a procedure called bone grafting in dentistry, strengthening your jawbone and improve your appearance. In most cases, this minor surgical procedure can be done right in the dentist’s office.

Why is Bone Grafting Used?

Bone grafting in dentistry is done for a variety of reasons, including:

• To Help Save Teeth – When gum disease results in bone loss, your teeth can become loose, and eventually, you may lose them. Regenerating the surrounding bone with bone grafts can improve bone support and help save those loose teeth.
• Treat Post Extraction – It’s quite common for dentists to do a bone graft in a tooth socket after an extraction. This helps increase your chances of being a good candidate for a dental implant in the future.
• Dental Implants – Since a post is embedded into your jawbone for dental implants, if you don’t have enough bone density and volume, implants won’t work for you. Doing a bone graft can help regenerate bone in the jaw to result in successful implant placement in the future.

The Procedure

The bone grafting procedure in dentistry involves removing a piece of bone from another area of the jaw or your body, then transplanting it right into your jawbone. In some cases, the artificial bone may be used for these procedures. Usually, only local anesthesia is used, and a tiny incision is made in the gum tissue to offer access to the area of bone that will get the graft. Once the graft is in place, new bone growth eventually replaces that graft, helping to reverse the bone loss you’ve experienced.

To learn more about how bone grafting may be useful for your dental needs, contact Oronoco Dental today to set up your appointment.