How Long Does it Take to Recover From Bone Grafting?

Bone grafting is a procedure used by dentists before dental implant surgery if they feel the jawbone is not thick enough to hold a dental implant in place.

The procedure is done before the patient undergoes dental implant surgery because the chewing action of the mouth exerts great pressure on the bone. If the bone is unable to support the implant the surgery is likely going to fail.

What is the recovery time associated with bone grafting?

Before we get into how long it takes to recover from the procedure, it is important to understand what goes on during it.

When a patient loses a tooth, the bone underneath the tooth starts to lose its density if the missing tooth is not replaced quickly because the tooth root that stimulated bone growth has been removed. If the patient undergoes dental implant surgery soon after the missing tooth falls out, then the bone underneath the tooth remains intact. This allows the dentist to perform the surgery without needing to do a bone graft.

Bone grafts are also common before dental implant surgery because a lot of the people who want to undergo the procedure do not have enough bone mass to support the implant. However, the bone grafting is not necessary if the dentist believes the patient’s jawbone is thick enough to support the implant.

What is needed for a bone graft?

Most people assume bone grafting only requires the dentist to remove some bone from one part of the mouth and put it in the part where the implant is supposed to be placed. However, the process does not necessarily require human bone and can be done using other materials to complete. The materials used for bone grafting include:

• Human bone
• Animal bone
• Synthetic materials

However, before a dentist decides to use any of the materials except human bone, they have to make sure that it is safe to use.

What happens after the procedure?

After the procedure, the patient will be given antibiotics to prevent infection. If the patient complains about pain, their dentist will provide pain medication as well. However, most patients who undergo bone grafting are fine as long as they take antibiotics.

How long is the recovery period?

The recovery period depends on many factors, including the type of surgery and the person's age, physical health and overall health. Generally speaking, the recovery time can be anywhere from two weeks to over two months.

If a patient has to undergo dental implant surgery, they will have to wait until the bone graft is fused with the bones that are already in the mouth. That usually takes a few months. Dentists will tell their patients to come in for regular checkups so they can monitor the healing of the bone graft.

Conclusion

Bone grafting is used to rebuild or repair bones by transplanting healthy bone tissue from one part of the body to another. If you want to get dental implants but do not have enough bone density to support the implants, then ask your dentist about getting a bone graft.

Request an appointment here: https://www.esdmke.com or call Eastside Dental at (414) 888-4000 for an appointment in our Milwaukee office.

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