What Happens if You Need a Bone Graft?

Bone grafting is a surgical procedure that uses the transplanted bone to repair and rebuild diseased or damaged bone. It is used to repair any bone anywhere in the body. For example, your surgeon can take bone from your hips to perform a graft. The bone matrix found in the skeleton gives the bones their strength. Inside the matrix are living cells that help repair and heal bones.

Why do People Need Bone Grafts?

You might need bone grafting to promote healing and growth for many different medical reasons, including:

When the medical professional thinks a bone will not heal without grafting
When you have an inadequate bone to support an implant
Dental implant surgery

The most common location for bone grafting is the hips, knees and spine. However, the medical professional might need bone grafting for a different bone in your body.

What Happens if You Need a Bone Graft?

The first thing is that your dentist informs you about it. They then explain why the bone graft is necessary, and if you are prepared, they perform a bone grafting procedure on you. Medical professionals always inform you if you need a bone graft.

The Procedure

During the bone grafting procedure, you will receive anaesthesia that puts you to sleep and blocks sensation temporary.
The specialist cuts into the skin to reach the bone that needs grafting.
The bone is cleaned and diseased tissue removed.
The graft is applied and fixed in place using different surgical techniques.
The surgeon makes use of stitches to close the incision.

There are several bone grafting methods, including:

Allograft–This is where bone tissue from another person is used.
Autograft–A sample of your bone tissue is used. The tissue typically comes from the top of your hip bone.
Bone marrow aspirate–A soft substance inside bones called the marrow is used. It has progenitor and stem cells that can assist heal bone fractures.
Synthetic bone graft–Artificially produced materials are utilised in this type of grafting. They are made from a variety of porous substances.

If you’re thinking about getting All-on-4® with dental implants and may need a bone graft, talk to the team at Next Smile™ Melbourne. We will answer any questions you may have and assist you every step of the way. Visit our website or contact us for more information.