One of the goals of dentistry is to help people keep as many of their natural teeth as possible. But sometimes, decay, gum disease, trauma, or overcrowding results in the need for tooth extraction. While tooth extraction is a common enough procedure, removing a damaged tooth isn’t always enough to restore optimum oral health. If a missing tooth is not replaced, it can cause serious dental complications and aesthetic issues as well. A dental implant is the only tooth replacement solution that solves most of those potential issues. But even If you opt to replace your missing tooth with a bridge or a removable partial denture, your dentist may recommend a bone graft after your extraction. Here’s why.
What is a dental bone graft?
A bone graft is a surgical procedure that is used to promote bone growth and rebuild bone structure. Dental bone grafting is done to support jawbone health, but bone grafting can be used to repair bones anywhere in your body. The grafting material can come from your own bone, typically harvested from your pelvis or tibia (autograft), or with donor tissue (allograft), animal tissue (xenograft), or synthetic material (alloplast). A dental bone graft procedure after tooth extraction involves placing the grafting material into the socket. The cells in the material graft onto the bone and stimulate bone growth.
What does a dental bone graft do?
In order to understand the need for dental bone grafts, it’s important to understand the symbiotic relationship between the teeth and the jawbone. You probably already guessed that the jawbone holds the teeth in place, but did you know that your teeth roots help keep your jawbone strong as well? Teeth roots and the pressure of chewing helps keep the jawbone strong. Missing teeth weaken it, and as the jawbone weakens, it atrophies or shrinks, potentially changing the whole structure of the face.
Dental implants are the best tooth replacement option for jawbone health because they replace the whole tooth, including the root, thus promoting jawbone growth. In people with insufficient jawbone, a bone graft may be necessary to support dental implants. When a tooth is extracted and replaced with any other type of prosthetic tooth, including a bridge or removable denture, placing bone grafting material into the socket before sealing will support the patient’s oral health and facial aesthetics.
Extraction without bone graft can result in:
- Jawbone shrinkage
- Weakened jawbone
- Shifting and loosening of remaining teeth
- Increased risk of tooth loss
- Increased risk of jaw fracture
- Misaligned bite
- Facial collapse
A bone graft following tooth extraction will help support the health of your jawbone and keep your smile strong and beautiful.
Benefits of bone graft after tooth extraction
It only takes a moment for the dentist to add bone grafting material into the socket after tooth extraction, but the results will continue to benefit you for a long time. The benefits of extraction with bone graft include:
- Regenerates bone
A hole is left behind in the jawbone when a tooth is extracted. The grafting material fills the hole and helps stimulate the growth that regenerates and strengthens the jawbone.
- Saves teeth
Jawbone loss often causes the remaining teeth to shift and become loose. A jawbone strengthened by bone grafting can help keep teeth in place.
- Prepares for future dental work
Even if you do not opt for dental implants at the time your tooth is extracted, bone grafting can help ensure that you have sufficient jawbone if you choose implants in the future.
- Keeps you looking like you
Bone grafting after extraction will help keep your jawbone strong and healthy so your face maintains its structure.
Extraction with bone graft could be the best way to help keep your smile healthy and radiant—now and long into the future.
Affordable extraction with bone graft at BioDental Care in Mexico
At BioDental Care, our goal is to help you achieve optimal oral health. We offer the highest quality dental services for a fraction of what you’d pay in the United States. If you need extraction with bone graft, or bone graft to prepare for dental implant surgery or repair damage from periodontal disease, call BioDental Care at (619) 754-8508 to schedule a consultation today.
