If you're getting dental implants to replace your missing teeth, but lack healthy bone to support the implants, you will require a bone graft. Today, our Langley dentist explains more about bone grafting for dental implants.
Dental implants are a natural looking tooth replacement option that can restore the function and appearance of your smile.
However, for some of our Langley patients, getting dental implants isn't as straight forward as you may think. In order to support dental implants, if your jaw is lacking healthy bone where the implant is to be placed, bone grafting will be required.
What is bone grafting?
Bone grafting can strengthen your jawbone and create a stable base for dental implants. When bone grafting is done for dental implants, material from another part of your body (or synthetic bone material) is grafted onto your jaw bone.
In general, bone grafts help to fix an area of bone that needs to be increased in volume, or that has been damaged.
If you decide to go ahead with dental implants, but your jaw bone isn't thick enough, or strong enough to support to the implants, you will require a bone graft before the dental implant process can begin.
Do I need a bone graft for my dental implant?
The number of dental implants you require, and the condition of your jaw bone dictate whether or not you will need a bone graft.
In some cases a significant bone graft will be required, which can take up to nine months to heal before the dental implants can be placed.
Other patients only require a minor bone graft. The key benefit of a minor bone graft is that the graft can be performed at the same time as the implant surgery.
Dental implants are a great way to restore your smile, but it's important to remember that they do require surgery and may not be the best option for you. To find out if dental implants are the best tooth replacement option for you, speak to your Langley dentist here at Willowbrook Dental Clinic.