Are Dental Bone Grafts Painful?
The most popular solution for replacing a missing tooth is a dental implant. Many patients are familiar with the implant procedure; however, many patients lack an understanding of bone grafting. Patients who have experienced bone loss require bone grafting before their jawbone is able to adequately support a dental implant.
Types of Grafts
There are numerous different types of bone grafts which can be used. The preferred type of graft often depends on things such as the location of the missing tooth and amount of bone damage.
Socket Graft
The most common type of bone graft is a socket graft. A socket graft is often used to prevent the atrophy of the alveolar bone. The bone graft is placed in the socket, preventing the collapse of the socket itself. After a patient receives a socket graft, they are typically ready for an implant within approximately 4-6 months. Another benefit of this graft is that it reduces pain after the procedure.
Lateral Ridge Preservation Graft
Another type of bone graft that is commonly used is a lateral ridge preservation graft. This graft works by increasing the jawbone’s width. This allows the bone to properly support an implant. This type of graft commonly uses human donor bone.
Block Bone Graft
A block bone graft is another type of graft commonly used when the jawbone has experienced significant bone loss. When this type of graft is performed, the dental professional harvests a small “block” of bone from the back of the patient’s own jaw. This piece of bone is placed into the treatment area and secured using small titanium screws.
These graft procedures require a healing time of about 4 to 6 months but can vary for each patient.
Sinus Lift
Another procedure which can be used is a sinus lift. It is common to use bone from a horse for this graft. Horse or equine bone may also be added to human donor bone for this type of graft. In many cases, this procedure is used when the patient needs an upper jaw implant and lacks enough jawbone needed for the implant.
There are two advantages of equine bone. First, it is quite similar to human bone and second, it takes longer to dissolve compared to human bone. The main purpose of equine bone is to provide a support structure that promotes additional bone growth, specifically in the sinuses. The anatomy of the sinus cavity is incredibly complex. As a result, the recovery from this procedure takes anywhere from 8 months to a year.
Pain
Many patients are surprised to learn that bone grafts are a routine outpatient procedure which should not cause significant pain. Patients are typically sedated during the procedure and should not experience pain during the healing process. It is extremely common for a dental professional to complete bone grafting prior to the patient receiving a dental implant.
It takes most patients three months to a year for a bone graft to fuse with the natural jawbone during the healing process. During the recovery, the patient has regular checkups for the dental professional to evaluate how the grafting is healing and ensure there are no complications.
Patients who are considering an implant to replace their missing teeth should call the office to discuss if they may be a good candidate for a bone graft. Bone grafting is highly effective in enhancing a damaged jawbone to accommodate a dental implant.