A bone graft is a surgical procedure used to replace or augment missing or deficient bone in the body, particularly in the jaw. Bone grafts are often necessary when the jawbone has deteriorated or lost density due to tooth loss, gum disease, or trauma.
Adding Bone Back to Your Jaws
A graft can be natural or synthetic. Some people have bone grafted from their own bodies, while others opt for sterilized donor bone. Synthetic bone options contain small fibers that stimulate new bone growth around them, integrating themselves with your jaw.
Why Are Bone Grafts Necessary?
If you need to ensure the preservation of a tooth or require additional dental work, your bone graft may be part of the recommended care plan. Here are a few examples of when a dentist may recommend a graft:
After an Extraction: Losing a tooth causes the bone around the existing socket to resorb or shrink away. This can jeopardize the stability of neighboring teeth. Depending on your oral health, your dentist may advise getting a bone graft.
With Dental Implants: In most cases, grafting is associated with implant treatment. This is because many people go without their teeth for quite some time before having implant surgery. If they have been wearing a denture, they may see significant bone loss take place by the time they are ready to invest in the implant therapy.
Implants are artificial teeth that rest in your jaw the same way a natural tooth does. As such, they require enough bone to hold them in place. While the titanium surface of an implant encourages new bone growth, there may be situations that call for adding a graft due to existing bone loss. The graft combined with the titanium surface of the implant root can stimulate extra bone development for added security.
When implants are placed in the upper arch, sinus lift surgery may be necessary. Adding a bone graft ensures that there is thick enough bone in the upper arch to install the implant. Otherwise, there would be a risk of the implant accidentally puncturing the soft lining of your sinus cavity. Grafts add depth to the bone to prevent this from happening.
In Areas of Periodontal Disease: Gum disease is one of the leading causes of tooth and bone loss. Even once the bacteria has been removed and infection halted, bone loss remains. This can jeopardize the stability of teeth, causing mobility and shifting throughout your smile. Instead of allowing this chain reaction to occur, your dentist may want to place a bone graft in specific areas of moderate to advanced bone loss.
Even if you don’t notice symptoms of gum disease, bone loss may be visible to your dentist or hygienist. Be sure to ask during your exam if there are any deep “pockets” around your teeth, or visible bone loss on your x-rays.
What to Expect After Getting a Bone Graft
You will likely experience bleeding, swelling, and some discomfort in the days following a bone graft. It is possible for your body to reject the graft. Following your dentist’s home care instructions (such as avoiding tobacco products and how to clean the surgical sites) are the best way to encourage the graft to heal properly. Plan on a couple of weeks of eating soft foods only as well.
It takes time to see whether or not the graft is a success. Your dentist will take x-rays of the area to see if new bone has grown around the graft or if the area appears denser on the radiograph than it did on the previous set. This process can take several months before your new bone will start to fuse and integrate with the surrounding bony structures in your jaw.
As far as pricing goes, a simple graft of synthetic or donor bone is usually much more affordable than undergoing surgery to graft bone from another part of your own body.
Traditional dental insurance typically covers bone grafts if they are medically necessary (depending on the cause of bone loss, your healthcare insurance may cover bone grafts) so it’s best to check with your insurance provider. You can also check out Aetna dental savings plans, which are an affordable alternative to dental insurance that provide discounts on most dental procedures.