What Is Bone Grafting and When Is it Necessary?

Your entire jaw is lined with dense bone tissue that serves as an anchor for your teeth. When that tissue loses its density after tooth loss, a procedure called bone grafting can help you. Bone grafting can stimulate the regeneration of healthy bone where it is needed most. Talk to a dentist at Westlake Periodontics in Westlake, OH, about this periodontal therapy.

What Is Bone Grafting?
Not long after a tooth is removed or falls out, the bone tissue that holds it starts to weaken. If this continues for a long period of time, the remaining unused bone tissue will eventually absorb into the body. To stop this from happening, your dentist may have to do a bone grafting surgery. Artificial bone (called alloplast ), bone from donor tissue (allograft or xenograft), or bone from another part of your body (autograft) is surgically layered in the open socket. After a few months of healing time, new bone cells grow under and around the graft site. 

When Is This Procedure Needed?
Most dentists recommend bone grafting when a patient needs dental implants. A dental implant requires the stability of strong and healthy bone tissue. A graft improves the chance that a patient will be a good candidate for this procedure. Ideally, a bone graft should be done by your Westlake dentist very shortly after an extraction. Also, if you have concerns about your jawline going slack, even if an implant isn’t a part of your upcoming treatment plan, bone grafting may help.

Benefits of Bone Grafting
Bone grafting is a relatively straightforward procedure that can be done in your dentist’s office in one appointment under local anesthesia. By maintaining a good diet and good oral hygiene habits, you can regain a significant amount of bone tissue after tooth loss. Because it allows you to be a candidate for dental implants, it gives you a renewed outlook on how your smile can look and feel.

Consult Your Dentist
Bone grafting may be necessary if you want to permanently replace a missing tooth and strengthen your smile. Call Westlake Periodontics in Westlake, OH, at (440) 835-4600 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Scott Sazima.