How Long Does It Take for a Dental Bone Graft to Heal?
Home » Blog » How Long Does It Take for a Dental Bone Graft to Heal?
Dental bone grafting is a procedure that is often required to prepare the jawbone for dental implants or other dental restorations. It is a surgical procedure that will need time to heal afterward.
In this article, learn more about dental bone grafting, the different types of grafts available, when and why they are needed, and more about the healing process.
Read More: Step by Step Process of Getting Dentures
A dental bone graft is a process where additional bone or an artificial graft material is added to your jawbone. It is often necessary before dental implant surgery as the implants need a specific amount of strong, healthy bone around them.
Unless this bone is present, there is a risk that the implants cannot fuse firmly in the jawbone after placement, a process called osseointegration. Ultimately, there is a risk that implant treatment will fail.
When you see an implant dentist, they will carry out various diagnostic tests. One of the most important is your cone beam CT scan, which provides clear 3D images of your jaws, existing teeth, and other structures like nerves and blood vessels.
The cone beam CT scan enables the dentist to quantify the amount of bone available for your dental implants and check whether there is enough bone and that it is of high quality. The scan also identifies optimal locations for each dental implant, increasing the chances of implant success.
There are various types of dental bone grafts, which are outlined below.
There are also different types of bone grafting techniques.
A socket preservation may be carried out when you have a tooth extracted. It involves packing grafting material into the empty socket, preserving its shape, and helping to ensure plenty of bone for an implant. Sometimes, tooth removal, socket preservation and implant placement are done in the same procedure. Other times, they are completed separately.
Read More: 3 Cost Effective Tooth Implant Options
A sinus lift or sinus augmentation may be needed for dental implants to replace your upper back teeth. These teeth are near your sinus cavities, air-filled spaces, and where the jawbone is naturally thinner, so it may need building up.
During treatment, a small incision is made to expose the jawbone, and a hole is created in the jawbone so your implant dentist can see the membrane separating the bone from the sinus cavities. The membrane is then lifted upward so bone grafting material can be packed in below, increasing the amount of bone available.
A sinus lift may be carried out as a stand-alone procedure and must be left to heal for several months.
The height and width of the bony ridge that originally supported your natural teeth can diminish, especially if you lost teeth some time ago or had advanced gum disease called periodontitis.
A ridge augmentation can use blocks of bone grafting material to increase the width and height as required.
It can take anywhere from 2 to 6 months for a dental bone graft to heal completely, especially if you have a larger bone graft that is more complex. It’s essential to allow plenty of time for healing so that your body can produce plenty of new bone, providing a strong anchorage point for your new dental implants.
If you have dental implants placed at the same time as a bone graft, the bone graft and the implants will still need time to heal and become fused in your jawbone. During this time, the implants must not be disturbed.
Below is a brief outline of the healing timelines.
The initial healing phase covers the first few days after your bone graft. Immediately after placement, inflammation occurs, which is a natural reaction to any form of injury and helps begin the healing process.
During the first two weeks, temporary tissue forms, providing a scaffold for new bone cells and blood vessels to grow. Your bone graft begins to become more stable and strong during this period.
After the first couple of weeks, your body continues to produce more bone-forming cells called osteoblasts, which create more new blood vessels to help support your new bone growth. Your bone graft continues to act as a matrix for the bone graft, but gradually, the grafting site will begin to integrate with your jawbone.
After about six weeks, the new bone growth consolidates and becomes more stable. At this point, your bone graft is gradually replaced with your own bone. This phase continues for up to 6 months, depending on your ability to heal and the type of bone graft you received.
Once six months have passed, your new jawbone growth continues to remodel and adapt until it becomes just like the jawbone surrounding it.
Read More: 10 Tips for Dealing with Sensitivity after Teeth Whitening
Your ability to heal depends on your overall health but you can help protect your bone graft by following your implant dentist’s instructions closely. They will give you precise instructions on caring for the surgery site and dietary advice, and they may prescribe medications.
Ensure you follow your dental implant dentist’s advice as closely as possible and complete any antibiotics courses prescribed.
Dental bone grafting is a very safe procedure, but as with any oral surgery, there is always a level of risk. You can trust a good dental implant dentist like a periodontist to minimize these risks as much as possible, but you should always contact them if you feel unsure after bone graft surgery.
This page was modified on by Dr. Alexander Bokser, DDS (Dentist) of Precision Dental NYC
Dr. Alexander Bokser is a dentist in Astoria, NY and Bayside, NY. He received his degree from New York University College of Dentistry, licensed by the New York State Board of Regents and the North East Regional Board of Dental Examiners.
He is currently teaching dentistry at Albert Einstein School of Medicine. Dr. Bokser has received numerous awards in dentistry and community service. He is a member of the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, and North Queens Dental Study Club.
More About Dr. Bokser
