What is a Bone Graft and Why Would I Need One?

You need your jaw in peak form to speak, eat, and breathe, so when it’s compromised by bone loss, you may need a bone graft to shore it up. Here are a few reasons you might need to consider this bone-strengthening procedure.

Like all the bones in your body, your jawbone constantly renews itself, but under certain circumstances, this process slows or stops, and you’re left with a weak jaw.

While that may not sound like a big problem, when you consider all your jaw does for you, including helping you carry on a conversation, yawn, chew your food, breathe, and hold your teeth in place, it becomes clear that jaw health matters greatly.

Denis Mustedanagic, DMD, at Me Dental Spa in West Hollywood, California, is an expert in reinforcing diminishing jaw bone with a minimally invasive bone graft.

This bone-saving procedure applies a small amount of bone-grafting material to the depleted area, and it triggers your body to restart the renewal process. Here’s when a bone graft may be necessary.

When you need a dental implant

If you’ve lost a tooth or had one extracted, or if you’re missing several teeth, the jawbone that once held them in place suffers. Without the stimulation of daily chewing, the bone stops renewing itself, and the tissue resorbs, meaning it atrophies and weakens.

Dental implants are a solution for replacing missing teeth and the waning bone tissue problems simultaneously, but if you’ve waited too long, your jawbone may not be able to support the implant.

In this case, Dr. Mustedanagic performs a bone graft to strengthen the foundation so it can receive an implant, which restores the pressure and stimulation needed to keep your jaw healthy for years to come.

When you have a tooth extracted

Because an extracted tooth can lead to jaw problems and bone resorption, we often perform a bone graft immediately following an extraction to prevent bone loss.

This is called socket preservation, and it keeps the space in good condition until we can insert an implant.

When your sinuses have dropped

The teeth in the upper back area of your mouth do more than just chew. They also support your sinuses—those meandering canals that help you breathe through your nose and eliminate mucus. If you’re missing those teeth, your sinuses may fall.

Dr. Mustedanagic uses a bone graft procedure to restore your sinuses to their original position—a procedure known as a sinus lift—and build up the bone tissue in your upper jaw to create a solid environment for dental implants.

When you have severe gum disease

A periodontal bone graft may become necessary if you have a serious gum disease called periodontitis that has begun to erode the bone under, above, or around your teeth. Even if you haven’t yet lost the tooth, it may become loose and susceptible to decay. A bone graft saves both the tooth and the jawbone.

When bone loss is causing problems

Whether or not you need a dental implant, if your jawbone is deteriorating, you may be facing any of several problems, including:

Shifting teeth
Jaw pain
Changing facial features
Sinus expansion
Headaches
Pain in your face
Malnutrition

These issues are preventable with a bone graft that restores your jawbone. Dr. Mustedanagic

performs the procedure here in our office under local anesthesia. All it takes is a tiny incision in your gum so he can inject the bone-grafting material, which may come from your own bone tissue, a human or animal donor, or a synthetic substance.

In most cases, it takes a few months for your body’s resources to kick in and rebuild the bone. Still, under certain circumstances, Dr. Mustedanagic may perform a fast-acting bone graft that triggers bone regeneration immediately.

To find out if you need a bone graft and for all of your oral healthcare needs, contact ME Dental Spa today.