Before you have dental implants surgically inserted, your dentist will do an exam to ensure that your mouth can support them. Most people are suitable for dental implants, but some don’t have enough healthy bones to support them. This problem must be addressed first, typically with a dental bone graft procedure, before the dental implants can be put in.

What Causes a Lack of Healthy Bone?

There can be a number of reasons why you lack the bone you need for dental implants. The following is a list of the most common causes:

- Gum disease

- Tooth development defects

- Long-term denture use

- A past injury or trauma to the face

- The removal of teeth when the dentist left the spaces empty afterward.

- Dental procedures where efforts were not made to restore the bone

What is Bone Augmentation?

Bone augmentation is basically the process of rebuilding the bone. This helps to restore the jawline and smile and provides a solid foundation on which dental implants can be attached. There are a number of different tooth bone graft procedures that can be used to augment the bone, depending on the specific condition and needs of the patient. The most common is called bone grafts.

What to Expect from a Bone Graft for Dental Implant?

A tooth bone graft is a safe and highly successful procedure. Your dentist will remove a small amount of bone from another location and attach it to the jaw. This is done in the dentist’s office using an anesthetic, and it heals the new sections of the bone bond to the old to make it stronger and better able to support an implant. After the bone grafting is complete your mouth must heal completely before any further procedures are performed, which can take anywhere from a few weeks to 2-3 months.

Other Bone Augmentation Procedures

There are several other common bone augmentation procedures your dentist may use. These include the following:

- The sinus lift, which is a procedure that increases the amount of bone in the upper jaw and below the sinus so implants can be placed.

- Ridge expansion, which is a bone augmentation procedure that widens the jaw so implants can fit properly.

- An alveolar ridge preservation, a procedure that reduces bone loss after an extraction.

- Distraction osteogenesis, which makes a short bone into a longer one by breaking the bone apart and encouraging new bone to grow in the empty space.

Dental Bone Graft Cost

It’s impossible to estimate how much your dental bone graft procedure will cost. It depends on the condition of your mouth and on the amount of bone you need implanted. Your dentist will work with you to find an option that both improves the condition of your mouth and bone and suits your bank account at the same time.

If you need a bone graft for tooth implant purposes, contact our clinic in Auckland and find out how we can help.