Bone Grafting Procedure at Oral and Facial Surgery, Greenbelt MD
Bone grafting is a safe and highly successful procedure that involves the "building up" or adding bone to the jaw by using your own natural bone from another location and/or by using donor, processed or synthetic bone materials. Often the new bone can be obtained from inside the mouth. Ask your dental implant dentist about the advantages of different bone grafting methods and materials so that, together, you can make an informed decision. Bone grafts are often performed in the implant dentist's office using local anesthesia to numb the areas that will be involved, sometimes along with intravenous sedation to remove anxiety.
After the procedure, you will usually be given antibiotics, pain medication if needed, and an antibacterial mouthwash, and instructed to avoid eating certain foods and putting pressure on the bone graft. You will return home in between dentist appointments while the bone graft heals and should be able to work and go about your everyday life.
Your implants will be placed after the grafted bone has fused or become a strong, integrated part of the existing bone. The amount of time the integration takes varies depending on the location of the graft and the density of the bone. It may take three or more months.
