Dental Bone Graft Healing Stages
What are the dental bone graft healing stages?
In many cases, the dental bone graft procedure is necessary to rebuild lost bone in the jaw and prepare the socket for a dental implant. In this article, we will discuss the procedure and the dental bone graft healing stages.
What are dental bone grafts?
The dental bone graft procedure is performed when it is necessary to add volume to the bone in the jaw. Typically, it is necessary to rebuild bone when bone loss negatively affects neighboring teeth or when there is not enough bone to place a dental implant successfully.
What are the main types of dental bone grafts?
There are four main types of dental bone grafts:
• Socket preservation: This graft is placed in the socket after a tooth extraction to fill the space left by the extracted tooth.
• Ridge augmentation: The ridge augmentation procedure is often performed when a tooth or teeth have been missing for an extended period, and the jawbone lacks density and volume.
• Sinus lift: The sinus lift is often performed before the placement of a dental implant when there is not enough bone below the sinus to support the implant.
• Periodontal bone graft: Gum disease can lead to bone loss, and eventually, the teeth can become loose. The periodontal bone graft is placed around the affected teeth to stabilize and support them.
Dental bone graft healing stages
Every bone graft heals slightly differently. However, the primary dental bone graft healing stages are:
• Inflammation
• Repair
• Rebuilding / Remodeling
During the inflammation stage, blood vessels form, and oxygen and nutrients arrive at the bone graft site. The oxygen and nutrients help to promote healing and rebuilding of the bone.
The next dental bone graft healing stage is repair. During the repair stage, bone cells called osteoblasts form and become “woven bone.” By entering the repair stage, we know that the dental bone graft has been accepted by the body.
During the rebuilding or remodeling stage, the woven bone becomes solid, dense bone. Ultimately, we perform the dental bone graft procedure to create this new solid bone. The new bone will either support surrounding teeth, preserve the socket, or provide a stable foundation to place a dental implant.
How long does dental bone graft healing take?
The healing time for a dental bone graft depends on several factors. Typically, dental bone grafts heal in about six months. Occasionally, dental bone graft healing is a longer process and can take up to a year in some cases.
What are the factors that affect dental bone graft healing?
The three main factors that affect dental bone graft healing time are:
• The bone graft material used: There are several types of bone graft material, each with its own healing time.
• The bone quality: The bone quality of the existing bone can affect healing time. Typically, healing is faster when higher-quality bone is present.
• The patient’s overall health: The dental bone graft healing process is affected by the patient’s overall health. In most cases, the healthier the patient is, the faster they heal from a dental bone graft.
We are the dental bone graft experts
At Sacramento Periodontics, our periodontists have over 30 years of experience successfully performing dental bone graft procedures. If you have missing teeth or are interested in dental implants, you may want to consider a dental bone graft. Our periodontists would be happy to explain the procedure and outline your options. Contact us today to get started today.