Bone Graft

What is a “bone graft”? It sounds scary! Dentists are quite familiar with this reaction.

Bone grafts help replace missing bone tissue in order to stabilize dental implants and to improve the appearance of soft tissue. Most bone grafts are made of small bone particles of different sizes and are harvested from cadavers or from animal sources. In some cases synthetic minerals are used as substitutes.

Bone grafts procedures are usually short and are performed under local anesthesia just like other basic treatments in dentistry. The bone tissue is prepared and the graft is carefully placed at the site of interest, and in most cases temporarily held in place using synthetic membranes and sutures. Bone grafts are incorporated in the bone tissue, and may undergo faster or slower turnover. The goal is to restore and maintain the bone tissue. For bone implant procedures, optimal bone quality after bone grafting is in general achieved after 3-6 months. Dentists place grafts immediately after extractions or after a short period of healing. As with other small surgical procedures, mild swelling and discomfort are expected as part of normal healing.