Preparing for Dental Implants With Bone Grafting

For many patients, dental implants provide a new lease on life. After receiving implants, many patients who had difficulty smiling, eating, and speaking, can now perform these tasks with ease. Implants are a great way to restore your oral health, but without a healthy jaw, you may need the assistance of a procedure known as bone grafting. If you are considering dental implants in Marshfield, MO, read the following information before you make an appointment.


Who Needs Bone Grafting?

Bone grafting surgery may be required for patients who have lost the majority of their teeth or suffer from gum disease. The grafting procedure involves taking bone tissue from another part of your body in order to repair the tissue in your mouth. If this sounds too risky, some patients are given access to donor, synthetic, or animal tissue instead. After you choose the source of your grafting tissue, your procedure will be scheduled.

The Procedure

Before the surgery, our periodontist will administer a general or local anesthesia (some patients will have the option to use sedation). After this occurs, an incision will be made in the part of your gums where the implant will be placed. This incision will separate the gum from the bone, and graft tissue will be placed over your existing bone. This tissue will be held in place with either a screw or a dissolvable membrane. Finally, the incision will be sutured over the graft, allowing it to heal naturally along with your jaw. Before you leave our office, you will be given antibiotics and pain medications so that you can have a pleasant recovery.


Dental Patient Holding Up A Dental Implant Model

About Dental Implants

Implants are amazing for replacing your missing teeth, and they tend to last for decades or even longer if cared for properly! Dental implant surgery is used to insert artificial teeth to create a new smile. The typical dental implant consists of a titanium screw with a roughened surface, and a ceramic crown to create the look and feel of the tooth itself. However, make sure you are a good candidate for the procedure. You need to have sufficient bone density in the jaw and you need be willing to go through the surgeries required for the placement of dental implants.

Evaluating Your Jawbone

The key to a successful dental implant procedure is osseointegration. This is when the dental implant post fuses with your jawbone. If you have been missing teeth for a while, it is possible your jawbone has started to degrade. If you suffer from bone-related conditions such as osteoporosis, this could also affect the success of your implants. A doctor can examine your jaw to see if it is dense enough to support an implant, and if it isn’t, consider the possibility of giving you a bone graft to make it so.


Call Our Periodontist

Our periodontist will take CT images of your head and jaw and decide whether or not you will need bone grafting. If your jaw is not healthy enough for implants, bone grafting may allow you to move forward with your dental plans. If you are interested in dental implants, please call Dr. Leo Tokarczyk in Springfield, MO. Dr. Tokarczyk will perform a bone graft when there isn’t enough bone to support a dental implant. To learn more, call today at (417) 882-2880! to learn more. 

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