Bone regeneration or grafting isn’t a new concept and dates back to the 1600s. The first bone graft was done in 1820, using an individual’s bone tissue from one part of the body to add to another. Recently, it has become a standard procedure for treating bone injuries. This surgery helps rebuild, repair, or regenerate damaged or diseased bones.
Dental bone regeneration is an oral surgery that stimulates the growth of a new bone in the jaw. It’s a common surgery performed by an experienced dentist, an oral surgeon, or a periodontist. The dental bone graft is added in this surgery to increase jaw support where bone loss has occurred, or additional support for a dental implant is needed.
Bone grafts used for dental bone regeneration may be made from synthetic materials, but they are often taken from your body and surgically fused into your jaw so they stay in place. Dental bone regeneration may also be performed to prevent tooth loss. This procedure is also helpful in improving sunken facial appearances or creating a space when sinus lift surgery is needed.
In this guide, we’ll discuss dental bone regeneration in detail. We’ll discuss how dental bone grafting is done, why it’s needed, its side effects, and the results of this procedure. To learn more about dental bone grafting, continue reading. For dental services in Gainesville,visit Park Avenue Dental today.
What Does Jawbone Loss Occur?
Your jawbone is responsible for keeping your teeth in place and anchoring them. Your jaw is also connected to your skull. When your jawbone starts to deteriorate, whether it’s due to gum disease or traumatic jaw injury, it starts to recede. Usually, jawbone loss occurs due to missing teeth.
If your teeth and roots have been extracted, the jawbone finds nothing to stay attached to. Eventually, bone loss starts to worsen. Advanced gum diseases like periodontitis also result in bone loss. When gum infections are left untreated, the bacteria spread and reach your jawbone’s living cellular tissues. This results in significant damage to the bone.
Dental injuries or trauma also cause jawbone loss. If your tooth breaks or gets knocked out after a developing infection, jawbone loss occurs. Lastly, cancers and tumors can also lead to jawbone loss.
What Is a Dental Bone Graft?
A dental bone graft is used for the dental bone regeneration procedure. There are many ways to do bone grafting, but the primary procedure stays the same. An oral surgeon or dentist will first make an incision in your jaw and then attach or graft the bone material taken from your body to your jaw.
Someone with gum disease or missing teeth will experience bone loss in their jaw. Dental bone regeneration is then required to avoid further dental problems and support the jaw where bone tissue is required.
The most common approach for grafting is to use a person’s bone from the tibia, hip, or back of their jaw. This approach is called an autograft. Autografts are the “gold standard” in dentistry because they promote faster dental bone regeneration, new bone formation, and faster healing while increasing jawbone support.
Types of Dental Bone Grafts
Different sources are used for dental bone grafting. Each source has its own benefits and risks.
Autografts
As we mentioned, human bone is used from the person’s own body for the dental bone regeneration procedure. The bone is removed from one area in the body and added to another. The bone is usually taken from inside the mouth or an extraoral surgical site. This is called an autograft.
Allograft
An allograft for dental bone regeneration uses bone from a different person, typically a human cadaver. Since the cadaver has the same human tissues as the patient, even if they’re not genetically related, the allograft is like a living bone. It has a mixture of cancellous and cortical cadaver bone.
This provides a great foundation for ridge augmentation and socket preservation when a dental implant is needed or if tooth extraction has been done. Most organ and human tissue transplants are allografts.
Xenograft
For xenografts, the bone is sourced from another species. Usually, an animal source is used for this approach, and a pig or cow’s bone is used for the dental bone regeneration procedure. Xenograft is an option available in case autograft can’t be done due to insufficient bone available or the patient doesn’t permit an allograft.
Alloplastic Grafts
When synthetic materials are used for dental bone regeneration, they are called alloplastic grafts. The dental bone graft is derived from non-resorbable or resorbable synthetic materials for this approach. It’s usually the last choice for this procedure and only used in certain circumstances, and common alloplastic grafts available are beta-tricalcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite.
Beta-tricalcium is a resorabbale material. The patient’s cellular pathway resorbs it and leaves the newly generated bone tissue behind. Hydroxyapatite, on the other hand, is slightly resorbable only. Alloplats eliminate the probability of disease transmission.
The ideal material for dental bone regeneration hasn’t been determined yet. However, these materials are promising. Better materials can be used in the future, with research on various options using growth factors, gene-modifying drugs, and cells underway.
Reasons For Getting A Dental Bone Graft
You may require dental bone grafts for any reason. Here are some common reasons why people undergo dental bone regeneration procedures.
Dental Implants to Replace Missing Teeth
To replace missing teeth, most dentists recommend dental implants.Patients who require dental implants automatically make a good candidate for a dental bone graft. Implants are artificial teeth with screws as roots. These screws are inserted into the jawbone, and a crown is added atop the implant to match nearby teeth.
According to a 2016 study, out of 800 people who got implants, more than half required dental bone grafting before the procedure. Bone grafting provides a strong base for dental implants.
Gum Disease or Tooth Loss
When you have gum disease, you will experience tooth loss. Due to tooth loss, bone loss can also occur. You may require dental bone grafting if you’ve lost a bone because of gum disease or tooth loss. It’s necessary to get a dental bone regeneration procedure done; otherwise, the bone loss will affect your gum tissue and nearby teeth.
The bone graft helps stabilize your jaw to prevent dental problems, bone loss, and other long-term health problems or complications. If you don’t manage your gum disease effectively, it can lead to tooth loss, heart disease, kidney problems, and diabetes.
Bone Loss
Bone loss in people is another reason for getting a dental bone graft. If someone loses bone mass in their jaw, their facial appearance changes. Their face can look shorter than it was, and the lower jawbone may also protrude forward.
Without a healthy bone structure, your facial appearance may change. The muscles around your jaw and your lips can also change in appearance. The skin surrounding your jaw area may appear wrinkled.
Bone loss is common among adults between the ages of 25-30. By the time you reach 30, thin bones can cause you to develop a condition called osteoporosis. The risk of osteoporosis also increases with age.
If you’ve experienced a jaw injury or have been affected by bone loss due to poor oral hygiene or health problems like infections, you can consult your family dentist in Gainesville. They might recommend surgery for dental bone regeneration.
Is Getting a Dental Bone Graft Painful?
If the dental bone regeneration surgery you’re getting doesn’t require a bone transplant from your own body, the procedure will be minor and simple. You will be sedated under anesthesia throughout the procedure and won’t feel any pain until it wears off.
After that, the pain is tolerable when you take painkillers or pain relievers after the surgery. Your dentist may also prescribe pain medications. During the recovery process, you will experience slight discomfort.
If you get an autograft where bone material from your body is obtained for the bone graft, the recovery process will be painful and slow. Since two surgical sites will be requiring recovery — your hip (for example) and your jaw — you will experience more discomfort. However, the pain shouldn’t be unbearable since only a small amount of bone is harvested.
Dental Bone Regeneration Procedure
Here’s how a typical dental bone graft will be done. First, you will receive anesthesia from your surgeon or dentist before they begin the surgery. A nurse will also monitor your vital sign before and throughout the dental bone regeneration procedure.
Once the dental technician cleans your affected area, the surgeon will start the surgery by making an incision in your gum. This incision will separate the gum from your jawbone, where the dental graft will be placed.
Next, the surgeon will add the bone graft material between the sections in the incision. These two sections of bones will now grow together with the graft. A dissolvable adhesive membrane or material secures the dental bone graft.
Sometimes, special screws are also used to keep the graft in place. Once the incision is sewn up, it will begin healing.
Postoperative Care for Dental Bone Regeneration
- Eat or drink soft, bland foods after the procedure for a few days.
- Apply ice packs to reduce swelling and pain.
- Sleep with your head lifted or elevated to prevent blood pools near the incision.
- Avoid hot liquids like soup or coffee, crunchy or hard foods like nuts, and physical activities like sports.
- Get an X-ray to check the healing progress.
Side Effects of Getting a Dental Bone Graft
After getting a dental bone graft, you will experience normal side effects like swelling, tenderness, redness, and pain. However, using our postoperative care tips, you can keep these side effects to a minimum level.
After the surgery, you might also experience difficulty speaking, biting, and chewing. Minor bleeding may also occur. You can use pain relievers, ice packs, and strength medications prescribed by your dentist in Gainesville.
While the dental bone regeneration process is completely safe, well-tolerated, and successful, there are chances of risks. Infection is always a concern during any surgical procedure, whether it’s oral or not. You need to take your antibiotics as prescribed by your periodontist.
Some other potential side effects are nerve damage, blood clots, the body rejecting the bone graft, and anesthesia complications. If complications occur, you need to immediately see your dentist for a dental checkup in Gainesville.
If the pain worsens after the procedure or persists for a long, you need to go to the doctor. Redness, increased swelling, persistent numbness or tingling, and implant becoming loose indicate an unsuccessful bone graft, and you need to visit a dental clinic ASAP.
Quality Dental Services in Gainesville
A dental bone regeneration procedure using a dental bone graft has very few risks or side effects. Most of these surgeries have a success rate ranging from 61% – 100%. When you consult your dentist in Gainesville for this procedure, they’ll guide you about possible complications.
It’s better to get a dental bone graft done to avoid bone loss, tooth loss, gum disease, or any other problems which can affect your health in the long term. Restorative dentistry is necessary to preserve your dental health and improve your overall health. If you’re worried about your dental health after a tooth loss, you can visit us at Park Avenue Dental
Our dental clinic in Gainesville offers general, family, restorative, and cosmetic dentistryservices. You can visit us to learn more about our dental services and meet our team. After a proper dental checkup and exam, our dentists recommend a customized treatment plan for you.
If you’d like to learn more about our dental implants, dental crowns, dentures, and other tooth replacement procedures in Gainesville, you can reach out to us. We have a team of the best dentists in the country, offering quality dental care.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment. We’ve got you covered!
