What is bone grafting?

Some bone always disappears after a tooth is removed and this continues with the passing of time. We initially study the tooth site with a ct scan. Sometimes there is not the required height or width of jaw bone in which to anchor a dental implant.

Areas commonly affected are under the air sinuses in the upper jaw or in areas where heavily infected teeth have been removed. Though newer short and narrow implants are now available which make bone grafting less essential than it once was there are still many patients each year who require bone grafting. New bone is formed by either adding particulate grafted bone from other sources (commonly deproteinised cow bone), or by repositioning a small block of bone usually taken from another part of your lower jaw. As far as the procedures are concerned there is no great difference between the bone grafting and the implanting procedure, but grafted bone does take several months longer to mature. This usually delays the completion of treatment by several months.

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