Purpose, Procedure and Advantages of Bone Graft

When looking for the perfect dental treatment to recover your smile, there are a few steps that must be followed before showing a confident smile again. Dental diagnoses are fundamental because they will tell you and your dentists the exact procedures you need.

For those who are missing one or more teeth, getting dental implants is almost unbeatable. 

If your jaw bone is too thin or soft to keep the implant in place in its current state, it may cause the implant surgery to fail. In this case, your dentist will talk to you about undergoing a bone graft procedure. 

What Is a Bone Graft?

A bone graft is a surgical procedure needed to fix the patient’s jawbone that is damaged from tooth loss, gum disease, trauma. This procedure may fill the void where the bone is absent and will help provide structural stability to later install dental implants. Bone grafting may also be used to maintain bone structure after tooth extraction.

For these procedures, the bone has to be as close to its original dimension and position as possible for optimal results. Also, the jaw and other facial bones support the skin and muscles that are responsible for our outward cosmetic appearance. Without the support of the underlying bone, our faces can look prematurely aged.

You might be wondering where does that bone come from. Well, the bone used in a bone graft can come from your body, a donor, or it can be entirely man-made.  The two most common types of bone grafts are:

• Allograft: uses bone from a deceased donor or a cadaver that has been cleaned and stored in a tissue bank.
• Autograft: comes from a bone inside your body, such as your ribs, hips, pelvis, or wrist.

A complete diagnosis must be performed before the surgery, just to make sure that you’re not allergic to any medicine.

How Is A Bone Graft Performed?

Depending on the condition of your jaw bone, your doctor will decide which type of bone graft will be used before your surgery. Thanks to anesthesia you won’t be able to feel anything during the procedure.

During this period, your oral surgeon will make an incision in the skin above where the graft is needed. They’ll then shape the bone to fit the area.

The graft will be held in place using pins, plates, screws, wires, or cables, and once the graft is securely in place, your surgeon will close the incision with stitches.

Advantages of a Bone Graft

Whether you’re getting dental implants or not, if you have lost teeth and your jaw condition is poor, a bone graft is recommended and this procedure has many advantages:

• It offers us the chance to preserve the shape and strength of the bony ridge long after the tooth is gone.
• Increases the possibility of implant, bridge, denture, or partial placement in the future.
• Avoids the shrinkage in the mouth’s height and width over time.
• Avoids the possibility of narrow, short, and fragile jaw structure.

Bone Graft Aftercare

The recovery time depends on the injury, the size of the bone graft, and the capacity of the patient to heal, but the average time is from 2 weeks to 3 months. The bone graft itself will take up to 3 months or longer to heal.

You may be told to avoid extreme exercise for up to 6 months, and the first weeks after the procedure you will need to follow a soft food diet.

We recommend asking your doctor what you can and cannot safely do before the procedure, this way you can be prepared.

Your dentist will also give you instructions about brushing and flossing during healing, this is very important because everybody is at risk of getting an infection if the wound is not properly taken care of.

If you’re a smoker, you must stop during healing. This activity slows or prevents bone healing, and the graft is more likely to fail.

Where to Go In Need of a Bone Graft Procedure

Usually, the news that a bone grafting procedure is needed comes as a surprise for many patients, and this can affect their budget. But, have you heard about dental tourism? This is this decade's newest way to save in any kind of dental treatment.

Dental tourism is a growing trend, and thousands of people travel every day out of their country to recover the smile they’ve lost. This activity allows the patient to save money while traveling and getting high-quality medical or dental treatments.

Nowadays, Mexico is a country known for its high-rated medical services, in fact, there's a small town called Los Algodones, right next to the border with Yuma, AZ.

Los Algodones, Mexico is also known as the Capital of Dental Tourism, every day around 3,000 people cross the border looking to recover their smile.

There, Sani Dental Group is the largest clinic in Los Algodones, Mexico, with more than 30 specialists at your disposal we're sure you'll have the time of your life during your dental vacation.

Our 35 years of experience in dentistry make Sani Dental Group one of the bests in town, and surely the best to treat your dental problems. Your chance to get the smile you always wanted is here.

Bone grafting, dental implants, crowns, veneers, and more treatments are available at our clinics. Check our price list and compare prices yourself. You'll realize how much you can save in Los Algodones, Mexico. 

Give us a call today, one of our patient coordinators will give you all the information you need about Bone Grafting or any other procedures you might be interested in. Don't hesitate in making an appointment soon!