Bone Grafting with Your Lafayette Dentist

If another dentist told you that you are not a good candidate for dental implants, you might wonder about your options. Most likely, the problem is that the other dentist didn't see enough jawbone available to support a dental implant.

Your teeth act as anchors in your jawbone, so when you lose teeth, the bone in your jaw begins to lose its form and reabsorb. This puts your other teeth at risk for failure because the foundation of your teeth is melting away. That is why discussing implants as soon as possible after tooth loss is so important.

The good news is that there may still be hope for you to get dental implants in Lafayette, LA. If you are interested in dental implants but concerned about the condition of your bone, please give us a call. We are happy to examine you and provide you with our recommendation.

Our dentists, Drs. Smith and Domingue are highly skilled in the art of bone grafting. Their experience has meant successful implant placement for hundreds of patients.

What Is Bone Grafting?

When we evaluate your health before placing dental implants, we take various images, including a 3-D scan of your teeth and jaw, to see if you have enough bone density to support a dental implant successfully. We also use 3-D imaging to find the ideal location for your dental implant.

If your bone becomes too deteriorated, dental implants are impossible without certain procedures to build up and restore your bone. Our dentists are skilled in grafting, which uses donated or harvested bone to rebuild the bone of your jaw to hold your implants in place.

Bone grafting is becoming more common as more and more people discover the benefit of implants. Dental implants help maintain your remaining bone, and since implants are most like your natural teeth, they are the most effective tooth replacement option.

Once we have enough bone density in the area where you need a dental implant, we can proceed with implant placement and restoration, giving you a new chewing surface and a beautiful smile.

Does Dental Bone Grafting Hurt?

Bone grafting is like many other surgical procedures in that some post-operative pain may exist, but it is manageable with proper care and medication. Bone grafting does not hurt any more than any other type of surgical procedure. Some discomfort is normal, and we will ask you to refrain from certain activities after your bone grafting procedure to promote healing.

The Bone Graft Healing Process

It takes between six and nine months for your bone graft to generate new bone. During the first 4–6 weeks, your bone graft is still soft and malleable and is in a fragile state, so it's important to treat your surgical site with care.

Immediately following your surgery, you may experience bleeding. Gently change your gauze every 30–45 minutes as needed until your surgical site can clot. Do not rinse or irrigate the area immediately following surgery because you may dislodge your blood clot.

Smoking can also prevent any oral surgery from healing properly and increases the risk of infection and longer healing times.

We can talk about pain management for your particular situation and pain level. Many of the variables depend on your unique situation and circumstances. At Drs. Smith and Domingue's office, patient comfort and satisfaction is our number one priority.

Contact Our Lafayette Dental Office to Learn More

Drs. Smith and Domingue are experts at bone grafting and implant placement. If someone told you that you do not qualify for a dental implant, we encourage you to contact us for an evaluation. Drs. Smith and Domingue are experienced with even the most difficult cases, and you may be surprised to learn that you can have your dental implants after all.