Dental Bone Grafting
For many patients, oral care consists of daily brushing, daily flossing, and preserving overall oral health by using mouthwash to kill remaining bacteria. It is also wise to visit the dentists at Fioritto Family Dental regularly for an examination, cleaning, and x-rays. Even with proper dental care, issues may arise that affect the health of your teeth and jaws, such as trauma due to an accident (sports, auto accidents, etc.), illness, or the use of certain medications, just to name a few. If you are not diligent about in-home oral care and dental visits, you can suffer escalating oral health concerns like tooth decay, gingivitis, and periodontitis.
In some cases, illness, tooth trauma, tooth loss, and periodontitis can begin to adversely affect your jaw, leading to weakening tissue and even bone loss, which further impacts your overall oral health. One option to treat such issues is with a bone graft. What is bone grafting and what can you expect from this treatment?
What is Dental Bone Grafting?
When patients experience bone loss in the jaw due to periodontitis or other causes, the end result is weakening of the structure that supports the teeth, leading to loose teeth and tooth loss. Treating periodontitis and bone loss often requires a multi-faceted approach, but one potential treatment option is bone grafting.
Bone grafting involves taking healthy bone from a donor and transplanting it to weak or deteriorating areas in the jaw. The new bone will bond to the jaw, strengthening it and creating a stable and healthy base for teeth, or dental implants.
What to Expect from a Bone Grafting Procedure
Depending on the reason for the bone loss, you may have to undergo certain treatment prior to a bone graft, such as taking a course of antibiotics to eliminate signs of infection, and other treatment to reverse the damage of periodontitis. When you’re ready for the bone graft, our dentists will determine the best source of new, healthy bone tissue. Most often it will come from external donors like a cadaver or an animal. In some cases, synthetic material may be used.
During the bone grafting procedure, substances such as mesh membranes and stimulating growth factor proteins may also be used to encourage new bone growth. This helps to ensure long-term success of the procedure. Over the course of several months, new bone will grow around the graft, creating a strong and healthy base for teeth or dental implants.
If you’re suffering from periodontitis, tooth loss, or other issues that compromise the health of your jaw bone, our highly trained and experienced doctors can help. Contact Fioritto Family Dental at 440-951-5511 or online today!