Losing a tooth due to periodontal disease, injury, or another miscellaneous reason requires a long-term solution for replacing the missing tooth. A dental implant is considered by most as the best tooth-replacement option. Implants feel and look natural, and once the process is complete, they function exactly like your natural teeth.

Bone grafting may be a necessary part of the implant process to prepare the jawbone for surgery, and here’s why you may need one.

Dental implant surgery is performed in stages. First, the damaged tooth is removed. The jawbone can then be prepared for surgery, and at this point, bone grafting may take place. A bone graft is a procedure that replaces and regenerates lost bone in addition to restoring proper facial contour.

The process involves removing a piece of bone from another part of the jaw or body and transplanting it into the jawbone. Other alternatives include bone from a cadaver source or an animal source. After a bone graft, it may take several months for the transplanted bone to grow enough new bone to support the actual placement of a dental implant.

Within the first year of losing a tooth, up to 25% of your bone density can be lost in that particular area. Because teeth and roots provide stimulation to the jawbone, that sensation is a signal to the brain that your jaw is serving its primary purpose. Without a tooth in place, stimulation is reduced or eliminated, and as a result, bone loss gradually increases over time.

Other common reasons for a loss of bone density include periodontal disease , developmental defect, injury, tooth decay, and infections.

Lost bone density means your jawbone may no longer be thick enough for an implant. When replacing a lost tooth with a dental implant , your dentist will surgically place a small titanium post under your gums and secure it to your jawbone. This process requires a jaw bone dense enough to support the functionality of the post.

Before your procedure, images will need to be taken of your bone so that the dentist can create a plan for how to augment it properly. At this point, you will need to decide whether you want to use processed bone or have bone taken from somewhere else in your body.

Regardless of whether you’re asleep or awake for the procedure, the area will be numbed with anesthesia. Next, an incision is made in your gum tissue, and a flap is created, so your bone is visible. Your oral surgeon will then be able to identify precisely how much bone needs to be placed for a successful implant.

If the bone is being taken from somewhere else, the donor bone will be extracted. Grafting material will be placed where the bone once was, and that area will be sutured. Next, the new bone will be anchored to your jawbone using a titanium screw. Other grafting material may be used to surround that new block of bone. Some oral surgeons may also place membrane material around the bone graft before the area being closed and sutured.

The best way to determine if you will need a bone grafting procedure is to schedule a dental implant consultation appointment with Cherrywood Dental Associates. During your appointment, x-rays will be taken to determine if your bone is lacking in density.

Bone grafting and dental implants are highly specialized procedures that should only be performed by a skilled specialist. Contact Cherrywood Dental Associates today to learn more about the dental implant process.