Bone Grafting

Bone grafting slows down the progression of bone loss in the jaw area. A healthier jawbone allows our dentist more options for restoring your smile, like using dental implants to replace lost teeth.

Who Needs a Bone Graft?

If you’re dealing with tooth loss, you may want to look into dental implants. These implants restore both the look and function of your natural tooth by placing a titanium rod in your jawbone to support a dental crown. This restores your smile and bite while also stimulating your jawbone and preventing deterioration or facial collapse.

However, you need a certain amount of bone tissue to qualify as a candidate for dental implants. If you don’t have enough bone tissue in your jaw, then Dr. Blevins can use a bone graft to provide a stable foundation for your implant.

What to Expect from the Procedure

First, Dr. Blevins will determine which type of bone graft is needed:

• Autogenous: Bone tissue obtained from a different part of your body
• Allograft: Bone tissue donated from an organ donor
• Xenograft: Bone tissue obtained from a species other than human, such as bovine
• Alloplast: Synthetic material made from a type of bioactive glass, which is made from a naturally occurring mineral in bone called hydroxyapatite

Before the procedure starts, you’ll receive general anesthesia to put you into a deep sleep. Then, Dr. Blevins will make an incision in the skin above your jawbone. He will shape the bone graft to fit your jaw, and once the graft is in place, he’ll close up the incision and bandage your wound.

Bone Grafting Recovery

After your procedure, our implant dentist will go over your healing and recovery period, which may take up to three months for a full recovery. During this time, you will need to follow certain post-operative instructions.

Once the bone heals properly, you will have enough jawbone tissue to support a dental implant!

Ask Our Dentist If You Need a Bone Graft

Often, we can conduct a dental implant procedure without placing a bone graft first. However, every patient is different. Our Mullins, SC, oral surgery dentist can determine if you need a bone graft before undergoing dental implant surgery. Call Blevins Dentistry today at (843) 561-4039, or contact us online to schedule an appointment.