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Bone Graft

A bone graft is a dental procedure performed to replace or augment missing bone in the jaw, often to provide a stable foundation for dental implants or to repair bone loss due to injury, infection, or periodontal disease.

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🦷 What does the treatment involve?

  1. Evaluation and planning:
    The dentist or oral surgeon performs a clinical examination and imaging (X-rays or CT scans) to assess the amount of bone loss and determine the type of graft needed.

  2. Anesthesia:
    Local anesthesia or sedation is administered to ensure the procedure is comfortable and pain-free.

  3. Bone graft placement:
    The graft material (which can be autograft from the patient, allograft from a donor, xenograft from another species, or synthetic) is placed in the area of bone deficiency.

  4. Stabilization:
    The graft is secured, sometimes with membranes, screws, or pins, to allow proper integration with the existing bone.

  5. Healing period:
    Over several months, the graft integrates with the natural bone, creating a strong foundation for dental implants or other restorative treatments.

Post-cares

First 72 hours

Right after surgery, the focus is on protecting the site. A blood clot will form to kick start healing, and it’s normal to have some swelling or mild bleeding. Pain is manageable with medication prescribed. We’ll give you detailed post-op instructions—things like resting, sleeping with your head elevated, and avoiding hard, spicy, hot or greasy foods or rinsing too soon.

Smoking slows everything down and also increases the risk of infection and bone graft failure, we strongly recommend quitting if you can.

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Days 3–7

Swelling usually starts to go down and any discomfort should ease. The gum tissue begins to close over the graft site. At this point, you’ll want to keep the area clean without disturbing it. Stick to soft foods and avoid chewing on the side of your mouth where the graft was placed.

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Weeks 2–6

You’ll be feeling more comfortable by now. Under the surface, new bone is beginning to form and blood vessels are growing into the grafted area. You can usually start returning to a more normal diet (within reason) and resume gentle brushing near the site, depending on how things are healing.

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Months 2–3

By now, the graft is integrating with your natural bone. The area becomes stronger and more stable, and Dr Ortega may start checking to see if you’re ready to move on to the next phase—usually placing your dental implant.

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