Bone Grafts in Elk Grove, CA
Preparing Your Smile for Dental Implants
If you’re a good candidate for dental implants but you don’t have quite enough bone mass around the empty tooth socket to support an implant, we can help. We feature a treatment called bone grafting that helps patients prepare for the dental implant process.
Bone grafts can also be used to save a tooth from extraction or to help heal an infection. During the bone graft procedure, we surgically attach a small piece of tissue to the jawbone, making it strong enough to support a dental implant.
What Is a Bone Graft
A bone graft is an oral surgery that we perform to strengthen and reinforce the bone tissue in your mouth. Dr. Elsemary or Dr. Salem might choose to use bone grafts to assist as part of the following procedures:
- Extraction: After a tooth is extracted, we’ll fill the tooth socket with bone grafting material to encourage cell growth. This helps create a stable foundation for future restorations, as well as helping to prevent jawbone deterioration.
- Dental Implants: At Wackford Dental, we secure our implants by surgically implanting the implant fixture in the patient’s jawbone. This procedure requires sufficient bone density to be successful.
- Saving Damaged Teeth: Some of our patients suffer from severe gum disease that results in bone loss and loose teeth. In some cases, we can save a damaged tooth from extraction by regrowing the bone that supports it.
The Bone Grafting Process
At Wackford Dental, our dentist will select the treatment that’s right for you.
The bone grafting procedure starts with Dr. Elsemary or Dr. Salem administering a local anesthetic to numb your mouth. Once you’re numb, they’ll make a small incision in your gums to access the part of the bone that will be receiving the graft.
Next, they’ll apply the bone grafting material directly to the exposed bone. After a few months, your body will gradually replace the grafting material, creating new bone mass.
Even though this is a minor surgery, you may experience some mild discomfort after the anesthetic wears off. This can typically be treated with over-the-counter pain relieves such as ibuprofen.
Contact Wackford Dental
For patients facing lost or damaged teeth, a bone graft can help save your smile or prepare it for restoration. If you’re located in Elk Grove, CA or nearby, give us a call. We can schedule your consultation with one of our dentists. Then either Dr. Elsemary or Dr. Salem will answer your questions and go over your treatment options.
