Dental Bone Grafting

Common Dental Bone Grafting Questions

• What is a dental bone graft?

  Dental bone grafting is a minorly invasive surgical procedure that helps grow new bone that was destroyed or replace the unhealthy or missing bone with new bone.

  The graft may be taken from another area of the body or created through synthetic or other materials. A typical dental bone graft uses a mixture of bone, antibiotics, and collagen to fill the hole left behind by a lost tooth. This helps your body create new bone cells.

• Are dental bone grafts painful?

  Dental bone grafts are usually an outpatient procedure, and patients are usually sedated through the process. The procedure is typically done before a dental implant/tooth replacement and usually doesn’t cause any, if very little pain, through the procedure and the healing process.

• How long does it take to recover from a dental bone graft?

  Your dentist will usually give you antibiotics to prevent infection and in some cases, pain medication. However, pain medication usually isn’t necessary as most patients don’t feel any pain.

  A dental bone graft is typically the first phase in the dental implant process. After a dental bone graft, it is necessary for your dentist to allow time for the new bone to fuse with the existing bones in your mouth before continuing with the procedure. The duration of this process varies for each individual but should typically take no longer than a couple of months.

• What are the aftercare instructions?

  Extraction Post-OP Instructions

  Bleeding: Minor bleeding after oral surgery is normal. It is important to leave gauze put in place after 20-30 minutes. If bleeding continues use a moistened gauze or tea bag and apply pressure to the area for another 20-30 min.

  Diet: Soft foods only for the next 3-5 days. Avoid chewing near your surgical site. If located in the front, avoid biting into anything (even forks/spoons). Avoid sticky, hard, brittle, spicy, highly seasoned, or acidic foods. Be sure to maintain adequate nutrition and drink plenty of fluids.

  Swelling: Swelling, sensitivity, bruising, and chapped lips can occur for the first 48 hours after the procedure. Apply an ice pack wrapped in a towel for 20 minutes and 20 minutes off. Keeping your head elevated above your heart will also help.

  Hygiene: Maintain normal oral hygiene in areas away from the surgical site, however near the surgical site lightly brush the teeth for the next 3-5 days. Starting the next day use a warm salt water rinse (1 teaspoon of salt per 16 oz. of WARM water) for 30 seconds 3 times a day. DO NOT! DON’T forcefully swish or spit (instead, tilt your head side to side) DON’T use a Straw DON’T smoke, drink alcohol, or chew tobacco for the first 48 hours. Anything that creates a lot of suction that could pull the blood clot away from the socket and dislodge it, causing a dry socket. This is a painful condition that interferes with proper healing after tooth extraction. Any tobacco and alcoholic products can interfere with healing or dirty the site itself, or both.

  Medications & Sutures: All prescriptions, if given, should be filled right away, and taken as instructed. Take Motrin 800mg (equal to 4 over-the-counter Motrin- 200mg) every 6 hours for the next 3 days. Take whether or not you are having any pain. Do not exceed 16 tabs in a 24-hour period! Take this before the numbing from the procedure wears off! Take 1 extra strength Tylenol with Motrin doses (500mg) every 6 hours for the next three days after surgery. If given narcotic pain medication (Norco, Ultram, Tylenol #3) DO NOT take any extra-strength Tylenol. Instead, take the prescribed medication for severe pain every 6 hrs. For any questions or concerns regarding your oral health or Extraction please feel free to contact us at 205-680-1120. If sutures have been placed they will dissolve on their own within 7-10 days, but if they are causing too much irritation after 7 days please contact the office and we can remove the remaining sutures.