Improve the Health of Your Jaw with a Dental Bone Graft

Losing bone tissue in your jaw can affect your appearance, threaten your oral health, and affect your candidacy for dental implants. A dental bone graft can replace lost tissue to protect the health of your smile and restore your candidacy for implants. Using our advanced dental technology, Dr. Danny O’Keefe can assess your jawbone and determine if a bone graft is right for you. We offer multiple sedation dentistry options at our Flowood, MS, dental practice to make this procedure as comfortable as possible.

A dental bone graft replaces lost tissue to restore the foundation of your smile and allow you to receive a dental implant.

What Causes Jawbone Atrophy?

Atrophy, or tissue recession, occurs in the jaw after tooth loss. When teeth are in place, the roots stimulate nerves that send signals to the brain to maintain jawbone tissue. After tooth loss, the nerves no longer receive this stimulation, and the body begins to redistribute bone tissue from the jaw to other areas of the body. As a result, the jaw essentially begins to shrink.

The longer teeth are missing, the more tissue is lost in the jaw. Over time, this atrophy can affect the stability of neighboring teeth and cause a condition known as facial collapse, which can make you look older than you are. A bone graft can restore lost tissue and improve the overall health of your jawbone while helping you to maintain your facial structure. 

Your Initial Consultation

During your consultation for dental implants, we will take digital x-rays and scans of your smile to assess the health of your jaw. Dr. O’Keefe can also sit down with you to discuss your concerns and goals.

He will also ask questions about your medical history to determine if you are healthy enough to undergo a grafting procedure. You may need other treatments, such as periodontal care, to improve your oral health before a graft can be placed. 

How Bone Grafts Work

During a grafting treatment, your doctor will create an incision in the gums to access the area of tissue loss. Then, he will place grafting material into the area and secure it before closing the gums.

Over the next few months, the graft fuses with the surrounding bone tissue. Eventually, the body begins to replace the grafted tissue with new bone, restoring the proper dimensions of the jaw and creating a stable base for implants. 

Once you have fully healed, Dr. O’Keefe can place your implants and restore them using a custom crown, bridge, or denture.

Types of Bone Grafts

There are several types of dental bone grafts. The optimal type for you will depend on several factors, such as the location and extent of your bone loss. Common grafting methods include:

• Socket Grafts: Also known as alveolar ridge preservation grafts, this procedure is used after an extraction to maintain the space left by the removed tooth. 
• Block Bone Grafts: For more extensive atrophy, a block bone graft consisting of tissue taken from the chin or from the area at the back of the jaw may be used to replace recessed tissue.
• Sinus Lifts: In cases where the sinus cavity would be disturbed by implant placement, this procedure can raise the floor of the sinuses and fill the resulting area with bone tissue. 

We have our patients return to our office periodically during the healing process so we can monitor their progress. Once you have fully healed, Dr. O’Keefe can place your implants and restore them using a custom crown, bridge, or denture. 

Rebuild Your Smile

Jawbone recession can affect every aspect of your smile, as well as your overall facial appearance. A dental bone graft can restore the health of your smile and allow you to replace missing teeth with dental implants. Learn more about bone grafting by contacting our office online or calling (601) 936-2526 today.