Many dental patients undergo tooth extraction procedures due to decay or trauma. The good news is, you can restore your smile afterward with dental implants inserted by an oral surgeon. Depending on your situation, bone grafting, or augmenting the jaw bone, may be necessary to properly anchor these implants. Here are a few reasons this procedure might be recommended.

Understanding Bone Grafting & When It’s Necessary

What Is the Purpose of Bone Grafting?

Dental implants are artificial teeth that are permanently inserted into your mouth with the help of a metal anchor that’s placed into your jaw. Once in place, your smile will be restored, and you’ll be able to speak and chew just as you did with natural teeth. When your jawbone is soft or thin, bone grafting may be necessary. This process augments and reshapes the jaw using a bone substitute to anchor the dental implants in place.

How Do Oral Surgeons Determine Who’s a Candidate for Bone Grafting?

An oral surgeon will take X-rays or CT scans of your mouth to see the shape and condition of your jaw bone. By evaluating these scans, they’ll determine whether your jaw is strong enough to anchor dental implants. Other factors that help your dental team determine your need for bone grafting include the presence of periodontal disease or bone loss, the natural aging process, or prolonged dentures wear. 

What Additional Factors Need to Be Considered Before This Procedure?

Before scheduling bone grafting, it’s important to know this may be a multi-step process depending on your needs. While in minor cases, bone grafting and the dental implant surgery can take place in tandem, other patients need to undergo bone grafting several months in advance to allow time for the graft to create stable, new bone. 

If you’re ready to explore dental implant surgery, the dedicated team at Oral Surgery Associates of Alaska can provide quality, personalized care in a stress-free environment. They use the latest techniques and diagnostic tools to provide the best care possible, whether you need a tooth extraction or bone grafting.  They’ll walk you through the entire procedure, from pre-op to post-op, to ensure you feel comfortable. Call today at (907) 561-1430 to book an appointment with these experienced oral surgeons and visit their website to learn more about their specialties.