Bone Grafting in Houston, TX 77059
What is Bone Grafting?
Bone grafting is a surgical procedure undertaken to rebuild bone after bone atrophy. Bone atrophy is the loss or decline of bone density after trauma, infection, or tooth loss. When left unaddressed, bone atrophy has long-term consequences, including facial collapse (premature wrinkling and sagging of your facial muscles), speech problems, and inability to wear dentures.
Bone grafting is usually recommended as a pre-requisite step to getting dental implants. That is, if your bone structure has shrunk after tooth loss, you may require bone grafting near you to rebuild a firm foundation for the implants.
American Modern Dental is proud to be a leading and preferred provider of restorative dentistry in Houston, TX 77059. We welcome you to discuss bone grafting with our experienced dentist near you in Houston, TX 77059.
What to Expect During Bone Grafting?
Bone grafting involves harvesting bone from one part of the patient’s jaw, hip, or tibia and transplanting it to the affected areas. Sometimes, your dentist may opt to use bone from an external source, e.g., synthetic bone material or bone from a different species, e.g., a cow or pig.
Our dentist in Houston, TX, has vast experience rebuilding lost bone through various grafting techniques, including ridge preservation, sinus lifts, socket grafts, and block bone grafts.
- Ridge Preservation: Ridge preservation or augmentation involves placing grafting material at the bone ridge to prevent shrinkage or resorption of the alveolar bone.
- Socket Graft: A socket graft procedure involves filling the tooth socket left behind after dental extraction with grafting material. A socket graft is usually performed immediately after extraction and significantly lowers the risk of dental implant failure.
- Sinus Lift or Sinus Augmentation: When bone loss occurs, the sinuses may drift into the space where the bone used to be. If this happens, you may require a sinus lift procedure to push the sinuses to their original positions and rebuild the upper jaw bone before implant surgery.
- Block Bone Graft: A block bone graft involves harvesting a small bone block from the back of your jaw and grafting it to the areas with significant bone loss. Our dentists in Clear Lake, Houston, TX, then use titanium screws to hold the block bone in place.
How to Prepare for Bone Grafting?
Bone grafting near you is typically performed under deep sedation or general anesthesia for the patient’s comfort. In this regard, our dentist near you is likely to advise that you:
- Steer clear from food and drinks for eight to 12 hours before the procedure.
- Inform our dentist if you’re on any medications, e.g., blood thinners, as these can cause bleeding complications during surgery.
- Have a trusted friend on standby to drive you home after surgery, as you’re likely to be groggy.
Get Bone Grafting Near You
Call or book an appointment with American Modern Dental today to learn more about bone grafting in Houston, TX.
FAQS
You may need bone grafting if you’ve been missing a tooth for a long time, had gum disease, or experienced bone loss after an extraction.
Bone grafting itself is not painful because it is executed under deep sedation or general anesthesia.
Bone grafting can use your own bone, donated human bone, animal-based bone, or advanced synthetic materials.
Absolutely. Age alone does not disqualify someone from bone grafting. As long as you’re in good general health, bone grafting can be safely performed and is often an important step toward restoring function and comfort with dental implants or dentures.
Implants may sometimes be inserted together with the bone graft. In others, a healing time of several months is recommended to ensure a strong foundation.