Injuries to our teeth and gums can have harmful effects on the bone tissue and structures that support them. In turn, this damage can impact both the appearance and the health of our smiles. One of the ways we can protect our dental health and restore our smiles is with a technique called bone grafting, available at our Livingston office.
What is Bone Grafting?
Bone grafting is a type of periodontal surgery. Bone tissue for grafting may be taken from your own body, or a graft material composed of donor tissue or synthetic substitutes can be used. This kind of graft will be absorbed gradually by the body as your own new, healthy bone tissue replaces it.
If you decide a bone graft is your best option, we will discuss the options for grafting with you beforehand, and use imaging to map out the area of bone loss and to create the best individual treatment plan for you. After anesthesia, an incision will be made in the gum tissue to reveal the damaged bone. Grafting material will be shaped and secured to the affected area, and sutures are generally used to close the incision. We will give you careful instructions for after care and follow-up visits. The time it takes for you to heal completely will depend on the type and size of the graft.
Why Consider a Bone Graft?
The bone structure that supports our teeth can be compromised in a number of ways. Dr. Rothstein might recommend a bone graft as your best option for treating many conditions which have both medical and cosmetic impacts.
- Tooth Loss Can Cause Bone Loss
The bone tissue which supports our teeth needs the stimulation of biting and chewing to stay healthy. Without that stimulation, the bone area under the missing tooth gradually shrinks. The bone tissue is resorbed into the body, which, in a relatively short amount of time, can lead to a noticeable sunken spot where the tooth used to be. A dental implant will provide the tissue stimulation that a natural tooth would, and will prevent future bone loss in the jaw. But if too much bone tissue has already been lost, you might need surgical bone grafting to achieve the right bone area and density to hold an implant.
- Gum Disease
As gum disease progresses, the gums pull away from the teeth, leaving the bone and connective tissue exposed to infection and bacteria. Infection and the body’s own response to bacteria can cause deterioration in the bone structure supporting the teeth, leading to loose teeth, a change in your normal bite, or even tooth loss. Bone loss cannot be reversed, but a graft can replace lost bone and allow healthy tissue to regenerate.
- Other Uses
Bone grafting can also be used to correct deformities in the jawbone, as part of nerve repositioning, to restore bone after trauma or long-term denture wear, and for other restorative and cosmetic uses.
Dr. Rothstein will recommend bone graft surgery when it will provide the best possible outcome for your individual needs. Because this is surgery, we are here to answer any questions you might have about the process and how we can provide the most skillful, gentlest, and least invasive treatment available. Above all, we want not only to protect your smile now, but to restore the strength and function of the bones which make it possible—for a lifetime of future smiles.
