Is Bone Grafting As Scary As It Sounds?
When you hear “bone grafting” it can sound intimidating and scary. Perhaps this procedure seems so frightening to some because it is not a widely talked about procedure. However, with our team of dental experts here at Rockwall Oral Surgery we can assure you that you are safe in our care. Allow us to ease your fears, and help you further understand how this procedure can help to regain your beautiful smile.
What Is Bone Grafting?
Bone grafting is where part of a bone is transplanted from a “donor” source to a “recipient” site which is most often the jaw beneath the gum line. Bone grafting allows the dentist to build the strength of the jawbone and to allow for them to move forward with any necessary restorative procedures that could not have been done otherwise. There will be little to no pain during this procedure as patients will be under sedation the entire time. Some swelling may occur afterward but the pain should be fairly minimal during recovery.
Small and Medium Procedures
Small Bone Graft
Perhaps the least intimidating of bone grafts is the smaller scale graft. In this bone graft, it is most likely to fix and preserve the area of bone that may have a damaged or missing tooth. Let’s break down the procedure and make it much less scary for you. To begin, granules of bone are packed into the socket of the missing or extracted tooth which is then covered with a protective collagen membrane and closed up with just a few stitches to close up the socket.
Medium Bone Graft
The medium bone graft is a bit more involved than its smaller counterpart but still should not incite panic. While this is slightly larger, the patient will be under sedation and feel no pain. If you have been missing one or several teeth for a long time, it is likely that there is bone loss in this area that needs to be restored. The process is similar to the smaller bone graft procedure that takes granules of bone and packs them into the area of the missing tooth/teeth and protected by a collagen membrane and stitched up. Bone from the wisdom tooth area may be used to get the best results for this size procedure. Doesn’t seem as scary now that we’ve broken it down, does it?
Contact Us
We’re here to ease any anxiety or fear you have surrounding this procedure. To learn more information about bone grafting, or to request an appointment with Dr. Pollock at Rockwall Oral Surgery, please give us a call today at (469) 264-8921, visit our contact page or reach us via email at info@dentalimplantsurgery.com.
