Even though “bone grafting” might seem unfamiliar and scary at first, it’s actually a wonderful technique you’ll appreciate if you need it.
A jaw bone graft can make a dental implant possible, leading to your new tooth or even several new teeth.
What Is a Bone Graft?
Bone grafting is a process of adding more material to a bone. Just as grafting in gardening means joining two plants together so they become one plant so grafting in dentistry means adding material to the jaw bone until it becomes one with it.
At our dental office in Calgary, we use bone grafting to:
- Thicken jawbones.
- Strengthen the jaw.
- Make dental implants possible.
When you need a dental implant, our dentist will first get dental x rays and other scans of your teeth, gums, and jaw.
If we find that your jaw bone is too thin to hold a dental implant—which needs to bond naturally with the bone—we may recommend a bone graft surgery.
Benefits of Dental Bone Grafting for Implant Dentistry
Bone grafts bring you the dental health and confidence that implants can give you. We highly recommend dental implants in general, because they’ll give you:
- Long-term tooth stability.
- The ability to eat a variety of foods.
- More confidence in your smile and social interactions.
- Protection for your other teeth, which need a full row of teeth for optimal health.
The dental implant process leaves you with a stable, solid foundation in a titanium implant that acts as a tooth root. It can hold a single replacement tooth or a larger dental appliance.
But we need jaw thickness to anchor the implant in place. Bone grafts are a successful method of giving that to you.
How Does a Dental Bone Grafting Procedure Work?
During your FREE implant consultation at East Village Dental, your family dentist will evaluate whether a tooth implant would serve you best.
With 3D scans, we’ll see how thick your jaw bone is in the possible implant area.
If we see that a bone graft will make the implant procedure successful, we’ll explain it to you in the consultation. We’ll show you the scans, if you’d like, and show you how much thicker your jaw needs to be.
Finally, after we schedule the bone grafting procedure, it should go like this. We will:
- Extract any old tooth or teeth that obstructs the surgery area.
- Add bone-enhancing material to the jaw in the area where your implants will be placed.
- Finish within 1–2 hours.
- Send you home for a recovery period.
Over the next few months, the graft will stimulate your bone to grow new cells! Once your jawbone is thicker, we’ll bring you back to the dental clinic for your implant surgery.
A Bone Graft Teeth Can Depend On
We use high-quality materials to create quality bone grafts, prepare you for dental surgery, and keep your new teeth secure for a lifetime. Bone graft materials include:
- Alloplastic, which is made of non-biological substances like calcium carbonate.
- Bone imitation made of polymer, bioglass, ceramic, or another material.
- Your own bone from another part of your body or jaw.
- Donated bone.
- Animal bone.
We have tested and researched each material extensively at the dentist office. Each is useful for different types of patients, jaw thickness, preferences, and more.
What Is a Sinus Lift?
You might also hear the term “sinus lift.” This is basically a bone graft for an upper arch implant procedure.
Sometimes, a back tooth implant in the top of your mouth needs to be placed directly where the sinus cavities leave extra space and not much bone to work with. We do not have enough vertical space to place an implant.
In those cases, the right dental practice is to add additional bone material into the sinus area. This can also be called “sinus augmentation.”
The general procedure for you will be the same:
- We’ll show you the area that needs enhancement.
- Once you agree, we’ll add the material.
- Then we’ll send you home to heal.
- After that, you can get your implants.
How Much Does a Bone Graft Cost?
Bone grafting falls into a wide range of prices. This varies by the type of material, the size of the graft needed, your insurance, and other factors.
During your consultation, if you need a bone graft or sinus lift, we’ll discuss the price and show you your options.
Call Us Today to Schedule Your FREE Consultation and Find out More about Dental Bone Grafting
Before you decide on your tooth replacement options, we want to give you a FREE implant consultation here at East Village Dental.
General dentistry is daunting enough for patients, so you shouldn’t have to pay to find out if a dental implant is right for you. Let your family dental care team do the work at no risk to you.
Contact East Village Dental today for the first step toward a new tooth or teeth and a great-looking smile you’ll be proud to show off.