Dental bone grafting and augmentation are used to build up the jawbone in areas where it has been lost or damaged due to injury or disease. These procedures can help provide support for dental implants, improve facial aesthetics, and restore oral function. At Gainesville Periodontics, we help patients improve not only their smiles but their lives with dental bone grafting.

What is dental bone grafting?

Bone grafting is a surgical procedure used to replace missing or damaged bone in the jaw. During the procedure, bone tissue is harvested from another part of the body, such as the hip or the jaw, or from a donor source. The harvested bone is then transplanted to the area in the jaw where it is needed. The transplanted bone acts as a scaffold, encouraging the growth of new bone cells from the patient’s body.

What is dental bone augmentation

Augmentation is a procedure used to build up the jawbone in areas where it has been lost or damaged. Unlike bone grafting, which involves transplanting bone tissue, augmentation involves the use of synthetic materials or natural bone substitutes to rebuild the jawbone.
During dental bone augmentation, the synthetic material or natural bone substitute is placed where bone has been lost or damaged in the jaw. The material is designed to stimulate the growth of new bone cells, which gradually replaces the synthetic material or natural bone substitute. The synthetic materials and natural bone substitutes used in augmentation have a lower risk of infection compared to bone grafting.

Benefits of Dental Bone Grafting and Augmentation

In dentistry and periodontics, teeth get a lot of attention, but it’s the bone underneath that really does the heavy lifting. Repairing damaged or missing jawbone with a graft or augmentation offers a wealth of benefits, including:
Makes dental implants possible: Bone grafting can help provide a stable foundation for dental implants by rebuilding the jawbone.
Improved facial aesthetics: Bone grafting can help restore facial symmetry and improve the appearance of the jawline.
Restored oral function: Bone grafting can help restore oral function, allowing patients to chew, speak, and smile with ease.
Better quality of life: When your jawbone is healthy all over, you’re less likely to experience pain, and difficulties with oral functioning, making life simpler – like it used to be!

Are dental bone grafts or augmentations risky?

Bone grafting and bone augmentation come with a very low risk of complications, but just like any surgery, you may experience:
Infection: Any type of surgery comes with a risk of infection, which can lead to further complications.
Pain and discomfort: Patients may experience pain and discomfort during the healing process.
Rejection: In some cases, the body may reject the transplanted bone tissue or synthetic material.

Weakened jaw negatively affecting your quality of life?

Whether you are planning to get dental implants, miss the strong bone structure of your youth, or are suffering from painful or difficult oral function due to damaged bone in the jaw, Gainesville Periodontics can help. Periodontist Dr. Barclay and his team would love to assess your issue and see if dental bone grafting or augmentation could be the right solution to restore not just your jawbone, but your quality of life. Give us a call today to schedule your first appointment. We look forward to meeting you!