/ Services / Bone Grafting
If your jawbone does not have enough bone mass to support and incorporate dental implants, you may need to have a dental bone augmentation procedure.
Also known as a dental bone graft, this procedure involves oral surgeons growing new bone onto the jaw to strengthen it.
Generally, this is done when the bone mass of the jaw is too thin or too soft to hold an implant in place successfully. The bone augmentation procedure will ensure that the jawbone can fuse to the dental implant successfully and help it stay in place permanently.
The most common reason someone may need bone augmentation is the gradual loss of bone in the jaw. This is caused by the constant motion and pressure of chewing when a tooth is missing.
Even after one year, a missing tooth can lead to nearly 25 percent of the surrounding jawbone to wear away. Avoiding bone loss means replacing the lost tooth with a dental implant right away. Other, less-common reasons for bone augmentation include misaligned teeth, gum disease, infection and facial tumors.
The actual process of bone augmentation takes about 30 minutes, but you should expect to be in our office between one-and-a-half to two hours to account for consultation, the actual procedure and in-office recovery time.
Before your procedure, don’t eat or drink anything for at least eight hours prior to your appointment, avoiding mint sand gum. Arrange for someone to accompany you to our office in case of emergency and to drive you home after the procedure.
If you wear contacts, wear glasses on the day of your procedure and comfortable clothes and short sleeves to your appointment. If you have already filled out registration paperwork, please arrive five to 10 minutes early. If not, please arrive at least 20 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment.
Patients under age 18 must have a legal guardian present to sign the consent form.
If your dentist already has taken X-rays, you can forward them to our office or bring them the day of your visit. If additional X-rays are necessary, they can be taken here.
Before your bone augmentation procedure, one of our dental assistants will go over your medical history with you. Your oral surgeon also will visit you to go over any concerns you may have. If you have any questions about medications, please call us before your procedure so we can consult with your physician.
One of the most common bone graft dental side effects commonly reported is a “gritty” feeling in the mouth. This is completely normal and is simply some of the bone particulates working their way out of the socket.
Sometimes, the membrane placed over the socket to aid in the healing process may become loose, but this is no cause for concern. The membrane will be removed during your follow-up appointment, during which your oral surgeon will check to ensure the bone graft is healing properly.
After several follow-up appointments and the bone is completely healed, you will be scheduled for your dental implant to be placed.
Recovery Instructions
Immediately after your procedure, a nurse will take you to one of our state-of-the-art recovery rooms, which are equipped with high-tech monitoring equipment to ensure your safe recovery.
Once you are in recovery, we will inform the person who came with you and go over the recovery instructions with him or her.
A nurse will be present to go over any questions you may have about your recovery process and provide you with printed recovery instructions before you leave our office.
After you get home, it is recommended that you get plenty of rest, ice the area and begin taking pain medication before the initial anesthetic wears off.
You will be provided with a recovery kit that includes extra gauze and gloves for bleeding.
You may experience a slight to severe tingling of the lips, chin and/or tongue, which is normal and temporary.
Be sure to schedule time off from school or work after your procedure to allow time to recover.
After your procedure, you can enjoy a cup of gourmet ice cream. Our treat.
Whether you have questions about a bone augmentation or any other procedure, we’re here to help.
Give us a call at Omaha: (402) 934-8999 or Council Bluffs: (712) 309-0480 where our specialists are happy to help you.
