The use of bone grafts as fillers and scaffolds to facilitate bone formation and promote wound healing is commonly used in dentistry.
Bone graft surgery aims to facilitate osseous replacement to maintain the contour and eliminate dead space to reduce post-operative infections, enhancing healing of the soft tissue and the bone.
Bone grafting is performed for many reasons, including dealing with injuries and disease. Four primary reasons exist why bone grafts are performed. They are:
- Bone grafts are helpful in dealing with multiple and complicated fractures or conditions that don’t heal appropriately after initial treatment.
- Two bones can heal together with fusion across a deceased joint. The fusion takes place on the spine.
- Regeneration has to replace bone last due to disease, infection, or injury. The procedures performed using either small amounts of bone in the bone cavities or large sections.
- Grafts are helpful to help the bone heal around surgically implanted devices like dental implants, joint replacements, plates, and screws.
What Types of Bone Grafts Are Performed?
This two standard types of bone grafts performed are:
- Allograft, where membrane from a dead donor or cadaver cleaned and stored in a tissue bank, is one option.
- An autograft is helpful as the bone is taken from the body of the patient like the ribs, pelvis, hips, or wrist.
The type of bone graft performed depends on the procedure the surgeon is performing.
Allografts are routinely used to reconstruct the hips, knees, or long bone like the legs and arms. The benefit of allografts ensures no additional surgery is required to acquire the bone. Allografts reduce the risks of infection is because other incisions or operations are not necessary.
Patients needing dental bone graft surgery for the insertion of dental implants undergo tooth bone graft if they have an insufficient bone in their mouths for implant placement. People with missing teeth and short jawbone but desiring to replace them must consult with dentist Chicago, who decides the type of bone graft best suited for the patient.
The dentist performs a comprehensive medical history and physical examination before the surgery and inquires about any medications or over-the-counter drugs the patient is taking. Fasting is recommended before the surgery to prevent complications arising from
general anesthesia. The dental Surgeon provides comprehensive instructions on what the patient can or cannot do in the days before, and the day the procedure is scheduled. It is incredibly important to follow the instructions of the dentist.
After determining the type of bone graft to perform before the surgery, patients are administered general anesthesia to put them in a deep sleep. The patient’s anesthesia and recovery are monitored by an anesthesiologist.
The surgeon makes incisions in the skin above where the graft was needed. After that, the surgeon shapes the bone to fit into the area. The graft is held in place with pins, screws, wires, plates, or cables. After the bone graft is actually in place, the surgeon closes the incision with stitches and dresses up the wound. Casts or splints to support the bone during the healing period may be used, but in many cases, they may not be necessary.
Recovery From Bone Graft Surgery
Recovering from bone grafts depends on the size of the graft and many other factors. Generally, the recovery may require ending between two weeks to a year. Patients must avoid strenuous physical activity for as long as suggested by the surgeon.
Patients are advised not to smoke after bone graft surgery because it can hinder the healing process. The failure of bone grafts among smokers is higher, and many dental surgeons refuse to perform bone grafting procedures on smokers.
Patients desiring to replace missing teeth and undergoing bone grafts must understand adhering to the advice of their dentist is the best option to get replacement teeth as early as possible. It will help patients have their implants faster to begin smiling again with artificial teeth in their mouths.
Bone grafts are suggested by dentists to patients who delay getting teeth replacements and allow bone resorption. After going through an intensive procedure, patients will help their cause by following the instructions of their dentist because the only way they can have the implants placed. Delaying the matter further by ignoring the dentist’s advice will prove detrimental for the patient to leave them with missing teeth even after undergoing bone grafts to support dental implants.
