Bone Grafting

A bone graft is a type of oral surgery that is designed to restore areas of the jaw that have been affected by bone recession. For most patients, a graft can be completed in a same-day, outpatient surgery. During the procedure, one of our doctors will use your own bone tissue, donor tissue, or a synthetic substitute to add volume and density to your jaw. 

Over the next few months, the graft will fuse with your existing bone and promote the growth of new tissue, giving your smile a healthy foundation for subsequent treatments like dental implants.

*According to Oral & Implantology

Soon after teeth fall out, the jawbone tissue begins to recede because it is no longer stimulated by the tooth roots. If you have waited to replace missing teeth, it is likely that you have experienced jawbone atrophy. This can impact your candidacy for dental implants since the posts require sufficient jawbone tissue to hold the implant securely in place. However, bone grafting can often improve your eligibility for dental implants by supplementing the tissue that has been lost. 

Although a bone graft is a fairly standard surgical procedure to prepare patients for dental implants, we want you to be in the best possible health leading up to your surgery. Our team works closely with Kinetic Patterns Medical Clinic to assess your overall health and ensure that you are a suitable candidate for oral surgery. In the days leading up to your procedure, you can promote the safety and success of your treatment by: 

• Arranging for a friend or loved one to drive you home after surgery
• Refraining from drinking excessively
• Closely following our office's pre-operative guidelines, which might include stopping certain medications

You might also be asked to quit smoking for some period of time if you are a smoker and you should closely monitor any chronic conditions, such as diabetes.

Bone grafts are performed on an outpatient basis, so you will get to go home on the same day as your surgery. If you received oral sedation in addition to local anesthesia, you will need a close friend or family member to drive you home. 

Immediately after your visit, you should:

• Avoid hot foods or drinks because they can trigger bleeding
• Keep the treatment site clean and dry 
• Take your medications as prescribed

Although the recovery time varies from patient to patient, many are fully healed within three months. Because habits like smoking can slow down your body's healing ability and increase the risk of infection, you should avoid the habit before and after your surgery. Once your graft is healed, you will come back to our Vancouver office to complete the next phase of your treatment.

As with any surgery, a bone graft carries some risks, including: 

• Infection
• Injury to surrounding structures and nerves
• Scarring at the extraction site
• Damage to your sinuses 

However, our Vancouver, BC, doctors take great care in planning and performing your surgery to greatly reduce the already low risk of complications.

Most patients at our Vancouver, BC, office enjoy great results after their surgery. In addition to giving your smile a healthy foundation for restorative treatments, a stronger, healthier jaw can improve the shape and fullness of your face, helping you look and feel younger.