Bone Grafting

Bone grafting strengthens your jawbone so it can support a dental implant for a lifetime. At All Smiles Dental Care in Hazlet, New Jersey, highly trained dentist Charanjit Sandhu, DDS, evaluates your jawbone with an X-ray and can place grafting material to increase its density. Call All Smiles Dental Care or schedule a treatment consultation online today.

What is bone grafting?

Dental bone grafting involves adding bone material, either synthetic or from a donor, to your jawbone to increase its density and strength. When you lose a tooth and its original root, your jawbone cannot replace the missing cells quickly enough to fill in the gap. This results in the bone becoming weaker and more susceptible to fractures. 

This process is called bone resorption. You can avoid bone resorption by getting a dental implant promptly after you lose a tooth, but not everyone has the resources or knowledge to do so. After a while, the bone continues to weaken and is soon not able to hold a dental implant. 

Fortunately, you can still get a dental implant even if bone resorption has already happened. You simply need to get a bone graft first. 

How can I tell if I need a bone graft?

All Smiles Dental Care welcomes you in for a consultation if you’re considering getting a single implant for a crown or multiple implants to hold a denture. During this consultation, your dentist evaluates your jawbone density using a digital X-ray. 

Even before an X-ray confirms you need a bone graft, you might notice some symptoms of bone resorption. Possible symptoms include:

• Chewing discomfort
• Changes in your bite
• Visible changes in your facial structure
• Headaches
• Jaw pain
• New wrinkles around your mouth
• Trouble speaking or chewing

If you need a bone graft, your dentist gives you the details of the procedure and tells you how to prepare. 

What happens after bone grafting?

After your dentist places grafting material in your jaw, the bone needs some time to heal and integrate with the grafting material. You might use donor bone for your graft, synthetic materials, or bone removed from somewhere else in your own body. 

You might experience some mild discomfort or swelling as you heal from a bone graft. Once healing is complete, your dentist can start planning your dental implant surgery for a single implant, All-on-4®, or All-on-6®. 

Bone grafting prepares your jaw to hold dental implants for a lifetime. Call All Smiles Dental Care or schedule an appointment online for more information on bone grafting today.