A Guide to Bone Grafting to Build Up Bone and Prepare Your Mouth for Dental Implants

In the past, patients with severe bone loss had to look for other tooth replacement options because they couldn’t qualify for dental implants. However, today, patients can benefit from bone grafting — a procedure that adds volume and density to your jawbone to support an implant. At Peter O. Cabrera, DDS Bahareh Sabzehei DDS, MS Periodontics & Dental Implants in Chicago, Illinois, we offer effective dental graft services to patients and residents of the nearby areas. If you have been ruled out as a beneficiary for dental implants, book an appointment with us, and you will be one step closer to dental implant candidacy.

Why you may need a bone graft

You already know that a bone graft is necessary to rebuild your jawbone after it has deteriorated. But why does your bone disintegrate? Like your muscles, your bone tissue wastes away if not used. This is what happens when you lose teeth. Since your bone doesn’t receive any stimulation from your teeth when chewing or grinding, it starts losing its volume. Due to bone loss, your face caves in, making you look older than your years.

You may also need a dental graft after severe gum disease. Periodontitis can “eat away” your jawbone, weakening it over time. Believe it or not, teeth misalignment may lead to bone loss. Severe misalignment of teeth may deny your jawbone the required stimulation, causing bone atrophy.

Whatever the cause of your bone deterioration, dental grafting rebuilds your bone tissue to improve your appearance and makes you eligible for tooth restorations like implants.

What to expect during the bone grafting procedure

Like any other dental procedure, bone grafting starts with a consultation with our dental team. We scrutinize your medical history, physically examine your mouth, and use radiographs and other diagnostic tools to establish your bone density.

Once we determine your candidacy for bone grafting, Drs. Cabrera and Sabzehei may use bone grafts from one of the sources below:

• Donor bone tissue from another person, usually a cadaver
• Animal bone tissue
• Synthetic bone tissue

Your age, amount of bone loss, and an array of other factors determine the source of your graft. If the bone is harvested from other parts of the body, anesthesia will be used, and your doctor will give you aftercare tips to hasten the healing of the surgical site.

Once we have the donor bone tissue, we add it surgically to your jawbone and give it time to fuse. Typically, this process takes about three months. After healing, the patient’s face looks renewed and has a healthy jawbone to support a dental implant and implant-retained dentures.

How to take care of a bone graft

Taking care of your dental graft isn’t any different from caring for other oral surgery sites. After the procedure, you may experience mild soreness, usually treated with over-the-counter painkillers and a cold compress. Other general guidelines for taking care of your dental bone graft include:

• Stick to soft foods for the first few days or weeks
• Avoid highly spicy, hot, or salty foods
• Avoid chewing on the surgical site
• Maintain proper oral hygiene to avoid infection

Need a dental bone graft in Chicago, Illinois? You can trust our dental team at Peter O. Cabrera, DDS Bahareh Sabzehei DDS, MS Periodontics & Dental Implants for successful bone grafting treatment. Please dial (312) 736-7959 to schedule an appointment for jawbone replacement.