What is the role of a bone graft in dental implants? A guide from our team

There are many issues that can cause disruption with the fitting of oral implants.

For one thing, many people who have oral implants fitted tend to be older, and thus more prone to having lost their teeth many decades earlier. This can cause issues relating to the thickness and strength of the jaw, which needs to be in top condition for this procedure to work.

Alternatively, the jaw itself may have been damaged and may require a technique known as bone grafting for implants to work.

So, if you want to have oral implants fitted, but are worried about the density of your jaw, come and talk to our team.

At High Dental Implants, we know all there is to know about dental implants in Melbourne and, should you need a bit of extra help making your aesthetic or functional dreams come true, our team can aid you. We have extensive experience handling bone grafting procedures and can assist in the many ways which are available if you have lost jawbone density due to age or illness.

Curious to learn more about dental implants in Melbourne and the role that bone grafting plays? Read on.

When is bone grafting needed?

As mentioned before, our team may consider bone grafting for dental implants in Melbourne if you have lost some of the strength or density of your jawbone through age or illness.

We will determine if we believe a bone graft is needed through the use of an X-ray at your initial consultation with us.

Where does the bone come from?

When it comes to bone grafts, we will usually aim to take the bone used in the graft from another part of your body; this reduces the chance of the graft being rejected by the body and increases the chance of the implant fusing.

If this is not an option, we will aim to use a graft made from non-animal derived sources as this also reduces the likelihood of it being rejected.

Does bone grafting hurt?

We aim to make all procedures that you have with us as comfortable as possible and so, no, bone grafting should not be uncomfortable.

Once we have fitted the bone graft, we will sew up your gum line and allow up to 6 months for the graft to fuse. We will also provide you with antibiotics following this process to reduce the chances of the area becoming infected.

Will it increase the fusing time of the implant?

If you require a bone graft, then it will inevitably cause the entire fitting process to take a longer time. Once the graft has fused, you will still need to wait for up to 6 months for the implant(s) to fuse to the bone. We will only begin this process if we are certain that the bone graft itself has been successful. If after 12 months of the graft being fitted there is still no sign of it fusing, we will remove it and look for another restorative dental procedure.

DISCLAIMER

All treatment carries risks. Individual consultation is required with one of our practitioners to ensure that the treatment is right for you.