Bone Grafting for Dental Implants: All Your Questions Answered

If you lose a tooth, you naturally want to replace it. The gold standard for replacing teeth is a dental implant, which actually consists of three separate parts: the actual implant itself (a metal rod installed into your jawbone), an abutment (connection piece) that attaches to the implant, and a crown that covers the abutment and looks like a normal tooth.

This procedure all sounds well and good for people with strong, healthy jawbones, but a patient whose jawbone is not normal cannot proceed with the implant procedure until their jawbone is strengthened. 

This is where an additional procedure called bone grafting comes in. At Associated Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons in Danbury, Ridgefield, and Southbury, Connecticut, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to you, which may include completing a bone graft before the implant.

What exactly is a bone graft for a dental implant?

A dental bone graft is a surgical procedure that brings in bone from an outside source to add volume and strength to your jawbone where bone loss has occurred. Over time, the graft fuses with the existing jawbone to make the area stronger and more dense.

A bone graft provides a strong foundation for the dental implant to follow. Without the graft, the jawbone could not support the implant, causing additional oral health issues. The bone graft provides our dental team with a solid place to anchor.

More than 2 million dental bone grafts are performed in the United States every year.

How does the process work?

Bone grafting is an outpatient procedure done under local or general anesthetic, depending on how complicated the procedure is for your particular situation. Our surgeon will make an incision in your gums, place the graft material in the exposed jawbone area, and close the incision to allow the new bone time to fuse with the existing jaw.

This healing process usually takes a few months, so you’ll have some time before the implant will be ready. Once the jawbone is strengthened, we’ll install the implant, allow it to heal, and then finally put on your crown, which will be customized to match your natural teeth.

You’re probably wondering where the bone for the graft originates. Depending on your case, we have a few potential options:

• Autograft: the bone graft comes from one of your own bones (usually your hip bone or the back of your jaw)
• Allograft: the bone comes from a human donor
• Xenograft: the bone originates in an animal (usually a cow or pig)
• Alloplast: comes from human-made or synthetic materials

How does it benefit you?

If you’re missing a tooth, bone grafting can make a huge difference in your life. By making the dental implant procedure possible, grafting allows you to avoid the oral health issues caused by a missing tooth (gum disease, shifting teeth, etc.).

With your new dental implants in place, you may also be less self-conscious, more willing to smile and laugh, and generally have a higher sense of self-esteem. Implants act just like your natural teeth and can last for many years with proper oral hygiene.

If you’re dealing with a situation that requires a bone graft before a dental implant, our team would love to help. Call our most convenient location to schedule an appointment, or book your own visit time with our easy online scheduler.