Patients who are having bone grafts or other supplemental procedures done may experience a bit more discomfort than the average simple implant patient, and some surgical techniques lead to more discomfort than others.
When your implant dentist replaces missing bone, it improves your success rate and recovery after dental surgery. Even with lost bone density, synthetic bone grafts or transplanted bone can take a person who otherwise doesn't qualify for dental implants and give them a successful dental implant surgery.
Following a dental bone graft, you may have pain, swelling and bruising. These are normal side effects that should diminish in a few days. Symptoms can be managed with pain relievers. Your dentist may give you antibiotics as well.
Patients who are having supplemental procedures such as bone grafts and sinus lifts may also experience slightly more discomfort than say a patient who is undergoing a simple dental implant.
Major bone grafting procedures are typically performed in a hospital operating room, and require a hospital stay. Minor bone grafting is usually performed when the patient does not have enough bone structure to support and stabilize an implant.
Because bone grafting is performed while the patient is under anesthesia, there is virtually no pain during the procedure. After completion, there may be swelling, bruising, bleeding, and mild discomfort once the anesthesia wears off.
Bone grafting is generally safe, but it does have some rare risks. There is also a risk that your bone might not heal well even with your bone graft. Many of your specific risks will vary according to the exact reason for your bone graft.
Is a bone graft worth it? A bone graft is certainly worth it for patients wanting to replace teeth lost to trauma, gum disease or extraction. Bone grafts will be essential in restoring the damaged bone in the jaw and building up to be strong enough to replace the missing tooth or teeth.
The Medicare law doesn't allow for coverage of dental care or services needed for the health of your teeth, including cleanings, fillings, dentures and tooth extractions. This also includes dental implants.
Additionally, it can cause your face to change shape, typically giving patients a more sunken-in and aged appearance.
Composite bone grafts have 99.6% survival rate and 66.06% success rate.
Bone Graft Cost
A simple dental bone graft for a single implant area that uses synthetic bone can range between $300 to $800 in cost. Should the bone graft use bone harvested from the patient, hospitalization is required, and related cost is higher.
Recovery time depends on the injury or defect being treated and the size of the bone graft. Your recovery may take 2 weeks to 3 months. The bone graft itself will take up to 3 months or longer to heal.
Bone grafts usually have to heal 4 months before implants can be placed. IN OTHER CASES, BONE GRAFTING in the site of the missing tooth may need to be done (especially if the tooth has been missing for a while).
Restrict your activities and rest for a day. Resume light to normal activity for the next few days. Avoid heavy lifting, bending over, excessive physical exertion, exercise during the first few days following your surgery. For optimal results we ask that you refrain from these activities for 2 weeks.
Dental Implants Require a Surgery for Placement
The complication rate is just an average 5 to 10%. The risks and complications you are taking for dental implants include infection, damage to other teeth, delayed bone healing, nerve damage, prolonged bleeding, jaw fractures and more.
The rates of bone grafting failure are low and there's no reason to believe that your bone grafts and implants can't last a lifetime. While there are no guarantees, Drs. Smith and Domingue can share potential outcomes, obstacles, and projected lifespan of your treatment.
Pain and swelling are normal and expected following surgery and may last 7-14 days. Do not be alarmed if the third day following surgery is the worst. Take Ibuprofen 600mg and Tylenol 500mg every 6 hours OR Ibuprofen 800mg and Tylenol 500mg every 8 hours. No more than 4,000mg of Tylenol should be taken per day.
Risks / Benefits
Blood loss. Infection. Problems with bone healing. Chronic pain.
Normal side effects of a bone graft procedure include: Gum swelling. Skin swelling or bruising. Minor bleeding.
After Your Surgery
Do not disturb the wound. Avoid rinsing, spitting, or touching the wound on the day of surgery. Be as gentle as you can around the bone grafting area. Try to maintain all graft material at the surgical site.
The short answer to this question is, unfortunately, yes. Bone grafts are surgical procedures, and they are not fool proof. They can fail if they have been carried out by an inexperienced surgeon, although experienced surgeons will also experience bone graft failures from time to time.
However, some oral surgeons specialize in a bone grafting alternative: zygomatic implants. Zygomatic implants can be placed for a full arch prosthesis in the upper jaw. Zygomatic Implants – Zygomatic implants are longer than traditional implants and are embedded in the zygoma (cheekbone) rather than the jawbone.
Not everyone considering dental implants requires bone grafting. Instead, the procedure is often recommended under the following circumstances: Development defects. History of advanced gum disease.
Typically in Australia, the price for a straightforward dental implant can range between $3,000 - $5,500 per tooth. According to the national dental fee survey for 2020, a dental implant in Australia (item 012, 311, 631, 633, 661, 672) can cost up to $5,514 per tooth.