06 Jun Here’s What You Need To Know About Bone Grafting
Bone grafting is a procedure done that involves taking bone tissue from one part of the body and adding it to another area that requires additional support. In the world of oral surgery, this may be necessary to add more strength to your jawbone, such as to prep for dental implants or to provide better support after a traumatic injury. If you have been told you need this procedure done, you may have a few questions about what to expect. Your Charlottesville VA, oral surgery team is here to help explain what you can expect when having this procedure done.
Common Reasons For The Procedure
In general, bone grafting may be necessary to create more support to an area of your face or mouth. However, the reasons for this may vary from patient to patient. In some cases, you need to add more material to your jawbone after you have experienced tooth loss. If you lose a tooth, your jawbone can deteriorate from lack of stimulation. Dental implants can address this issue by replacing your missing teeth. Many patients don’t have strong enough jawbones to support implants, so grafting is necessary before this procedure. In some cases, you may have grafting done in an area to help improve a structure that did not develop properly due to a congenital defect.
Our Approaches To Grafting
Your bone grafting procedure is unique to your specific needs, and the approach we use will be determined by the type of bone loss, level of severity, area, and other factors to consider. For instance, we can perform minor bone grafting to address small areas of bone loss. As the name states, this is a minor procedure that may require smaller amounts of grafting tissue. On the other hand, we may perform a sinus lift to add structure to the upper jaw before creating a set of prosthetic teeth, such as dental implants or dentures. These procedures may be more extensive than a minor grafting treatment.
What to Expect From The Procedure
There are two types of materials we may use for your procedure. We take the first type, known as autologous bone, from another part of your body and add it to the jaw. Alternatively, we can use Bone Morphogenic Protein (BMP) in a powdered form, which can be easily added to the jaw without the need for another surgical site. Like all surgeries, you will need to follow the pre- and post-op care instructions given to you by your team. Once you have healed from the procedure, we can prepare to add the dental implants.
Schedule Your Appointment With Us
Oral surgery can be intimidating for many patients, but we’re here for you every step of the way. When you need bone grafting or other oral surgery procedures done, call our team in Charlottesville VA today at (434) 282-2275.