A dental bone graft procedure restores support where significant jawbone loss has occurred. A dentist makes an incision in the gum line to place the bone in the affected area. This attaches to the natural bone to make it stronger and encourage new growth. The implant can be bone taken from your body, but today it’s common to use a synthetic material called alloplast. Read on to find out if a bone graft may be right for you.      

Why Might You Need a Dental Bone Graft?

1. Save Teeth 

If you experience periodontal disease, it loosens teeth and can accelerate bone degeneration. With periodontitis, bacteria that develops in your mouth due to excessive plaque buildup infiltrates your gums, infecting them with toxins that can shrink the bone and lead to further decay.  

When this happens, the chances of teeth falling out increase. A bone graft can strengthen the sockets of infected teeth because it places new bone where there has been significant loss and promotes regrowth. This helps prevent oral deterioration and strengthen the jawbone.    

2. Prevent Bone Loss Following an Extraction 

When you have a tooth removed, it can cause the jawbone to weaken. Biting and chewing with teeth send signals to cells in the jawbone that are responsible for bone growth. But if there’s no longer a tooth in place to support the jaw, those signals stop alerting the bone to grow, so the area starts to concave rapidly. 

Bone loss can lead to several other issues, including difficulty eating and speaking and changes in the facial structure. A bone graft, though, can help stimulate regrowth by placing stronger bone where it's needed. The operation reawakens this part of the jaw so that stimuli once again signal cells to activate bone formation.       

3. Prepare for a Dental Implant

During a dental implant procedure, the dentist makes an incision in the gumline to expose the bone. Then, a metal post is inserted into the jawbone to serve as the root for the prosthetic tooth to be set on top. It's crucial your jawbone is strong enough to handle the pressure of the surgery and heal securely around the metal post that will hold the new tooth. 

A soft or weak jawbone doesn't have the strength to heal tightly around the metal post, and this ultimately makes it impossible to place the artificial tooth. If you need an implant, your dentist may advise a bone graft procedure first to restrengthen the bone and prepare the area to receive it.

If you’re wondering if a bone graft is right for you, reach out to the team at Stacy Lesley DDS in Concord, North Carolina. For more than 20 years, the family dentist practice has been helping patients maintain and restore good oral health using the most advanced dental technology. Call (704) 766-1488 to schedule an appointment or learn more by visiting their website.