Are Dental Bone Grafts Painful?
Despite not knowing much about them, most people have likely heard the phrase dental implants before. Dental bone grafting denton tx, however, is less commonly known despite the fact it frequently goes hand-in-hand with dental implants. Often, dental implant patients find out during an initial consultation with their dentist that their jawbone is not sufficiently strong to support an implant. As such, a dental bone graft is often needed, prior to implant surgery, to strengthen the jawbone. Patients that have been told they need a bone graft are likely curious about what the procedure entails, if it is painful, and how the recovery process is. This article will examine those aspects of the procedure, so patients are best informed about their care.
Bone Grafts are Fairly Common
Dentists often recommend bone grafts prior to dental implant surgery for patients that have insufficient bone structure to support the implant. There are several causes for the natural bone deficiency including:
- Developmental or genetic defects
- Gum disease
- Facial trauma or injury
- Missing tooth or teeth
A bone grafting procedure surgically repairs or rebuilds bones using transplanted bone tissue. Human, animal, or synthetic bone is placed in the deficient areas and through a natural healing process, fuses to the natural bone.
There are different types of bone grafts that can be used based on the patient’s situation and the recovery times vary. Types of grafts include:
- Socket graft
- Later ridge preservation graft
- Block bone graft
- Sinus lift
Is the Procedure Painful?
While bone grafting may sound scary, the procedure is routine, predictable, and should not be feared. Because bone grafting is performed while the patient is under anesthesia, there is virtually no pain during the procedure. After completion, there may be swelling, bruising, bleeding, and mild discomfort once the anesthesia wears off. Patients will be prescribed antibiotics to prevent infection and should pain be persist, pain medication may be provided as well.
What is the Recovery Time from Bone Grafting?
There are a variety of factors that influence recovery time including the person’s age, overall health, and type of surgery performed. In general, patients will recover from the grafting procedure within four to twelve months. Should the patient need to have dental implant surgery, time will be needed to first heal and allow the bone graft to fuse with natural bones in the mouth. This fusing process may take two to three months during which the dentist may advise the patient to come in for regular checkups to evaluate the healing of the graft.
While recovering from a dental bone graft, patients can expect to:
- Limit physical activities that could disrupt healing process for a few days post-surgery
- Eat a diet of soft, bland foods like soups, smoothies, scrambled eggs, and yogurt
- Follow the full course of antibiotics prescribed by the dentist
- Take painkillers if needed to manage discomfort
- Care for graft site – avoid chewing in the area
- Change dressings (bandages) as needed
- Use ice to combat pain and swelling
- Modify sleeping position – patients should sleep on their back with head elevated to ensure blood flow to graft site