About Bone Grafting
Missing teeth can lead to weakened gums and loss of shape where the teeth used to be. If patients are suffering from weak gums, then the condition may prevent them from being able to support dental implants. Bone grafting, offered by our highly-trained dentists at Beachwood Dental, use donor bone from the patient, animals, or synthetic material to build up and strengthen the gums in order to make them able to support dental implants. Having strong, restructured gums can improve the overall health of the mouth and improve the chewing and speaking ability. Patients can schedule a consultation at our Los Alamitos, CA office to discuss their needs and what kind of graft they would like to use.
Reviews
What to Expect
Patients can expect a thorough examination during their consultation process, which will include diagnostic imaging in our office. Once it is determined that patients need a bone grafting procedure, our dentist will need to determine where the bone tissue will come from, which could be from the patient's own body (autogenous bone graft), a donor, an animal (xenograft), or a synthetic material (allograft). During your procedure, the area will be numbed, and our dentist will cut the gums open so that the grafting tissue can be inserted in with the existing bone. The incision will then be sutured closed. The treatment area will have to heal before the next stage of restoration can begin and the graft can infuse itself into the jaw.
Treatment Aftercare
Patients may experience sensitivity and pain after the bone graft, and our dentist may give a prescription for antibiotics to stop infections and/or an antibacterial mouthwash to use during the recovery. We ask that patients consume a liquid or soft diet until they can tolerate regular food again and to not put unnecessary pressure on the grafted area. We will schedule follow-up appointments to check the progress of the graft and allow 6 – 9 months for the tissues to strengthen the bone for a dental implant.
Augment Your Jawbone
If you have a naturally slim jawbone, or tooth decay and gum disease have damaged the bone (usually after a tooth extraction), we can correct the area with a bone grafting surgery at our Los Alamitos, CA office. This procedure provides a wider foundation for the placement of a restorative dental implant. If you would like to learn more, please call our office for an appointment.
