Sometimes patients who want to replace missing teeth with dental implants require a bone graft to make the jaw stable enough to hold the implants. Here's more from our Surrey dentist about bone grafting for dental implants.
Dental implants can be surgically placed into the jaw by your dentist, in order to create a natural looking replacement for a missing tooth.
However, if you're lacking healthy bone where the implant is to be placed, bone grafting will be necessary before the dental implant process can begin.
What is bone grafting?
Bone grafting is essentially a bone transplant where material from one part of your body (or synthetic bone material) is grafted onto the bone in another part of your body.
Bone grafts are typically performed to fix bone that has been damaged, or to increase the volume of bone in a particular area.
If you wish to get dental implants but your jaw bone isn't thick enough, or is too soft, to support to a dental implant, a bone graft will be necessary.
By having a bone graft you are creating a solid foundation that can support a dental implant.
Do I need a bone graft for my dental implant?
Each of our patients is unique, whether you will need a bone graft depends on the condition of your jaw bone and the number of dental implants you require.
In some cases patients require a significant bone graft which can take up to nine months to heal before dental implants can be placed.
Other patients only need a minor bone graft. Minor bone grafts can be performed at the same time as the dental implant surgery.
Dental implants are a natural looking tooth replacement option but it's important to remember that they do require surgery and aren't appropriate for everyone.