Your jawbone can erode when you have missing teeth or gaps in between teeth, A weakened or shrinking jawbone, cannot support a dental implant, which can cause massive problems for you. A bone graft will create a more solid base for an implant. This procedure involves removing a piece of bone from another part of your jaw or body and transplanting it into your jaw bone, allowing for new bone growth so your jaw can support an implant.

How A Bone Graft Works

Bone grafts require local anesthesia to numb the different areas involved. You will receive antibiotics and post-procedure instructions to care for your bone graft after the procedure. Once your bone graft is integrated and the new bone has fused with the existing bone, the dentist will be able to place your implant. Integration may take several months but it’s nothing to worry about. Bone grafts are a very safe procedure.

You have three different types of bone grafts to choose from.

The first option is autogenous bone grafts, also known as autografts. These grafts are made from a bone from another part of your body like your chin, another part of your jaw, your hip or your rib. Autogenous bone grafts use live bones and live bones promote bone growth, which is good for a strong jaw. But autogenous bone grafts will require a second procedure as one procedure will take the bone from the other part of your body and the second procedure will implant the bone.

Allogenic bone uses a bone taken from a cadaver. The bone is cleaned and processed before it is implanted. Similar to allogenic, xenogenic bone graft involves using a bone that is taken from a non-human species, like a cow. Both allogenic and xenogeneic bone grafts do not produce new bone growth. Instead, these bones act as a framework and synthetic materials are used to stimulate bone growth. The benefit to allogenic or xenogeneic bone grafts is that they do not require a second procedure.

You can also choose to use synthetic materials instead of using a real bone for your graft. Dr. Michael Yu Yeh and Dr. Lance Stolworthy at Port Orchard Dental Excellence will advise you to make the best and most informed choice for your bone graft.