Bone Grafting
Restore Your Oral Health With Implants
Build a Stronger Foundation for Your Smile With Bone Grafts in Virginia Beach
Losing a tooth can affect more than your smile. Without the stimulation provided by natural tooth roots, the surrounding jawbone shrinks, making future tooth replacement more challenging. Bone grafts in Virginia Beach can help rebuild lost bone and create a stronger foundation for dental implants.
Bone grafting can address areas weakened by tooth extractions, injury, or other conditions that affect your jaw. By improving bone volume, the procedure can expand your options for replacing missing teeth. Whether you recently lost a tooth or have experienced years of bone deterioration, schedule a consultation with one of our board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeons to find out how bone grafting may benefit your oral health.
See What a Bone Graft Can Do for You
When bone volume decreases in your jaw, there may not be enough healthy tissue to securely accommodate a dental implant. Bone grafting helps address this problem by placing grafting material in areas where additional support is needed.
The procedure involves adding bone graft material to the affected area, to encourage new bone development as healing progresses. Depending on your circumstances, grafting may be performed following a tooth extraction, before implant placement, or during certain implant procedures. Your surgeon will determine the appropriate timing based on the condition of your jaw.
Advanced imaging helps identify areas of bone deficiency and guide surgical planning. Our team also uses platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) during some procedures to support the body's natural healing response. Because new bone requires time to develop, you may need a healing period before moving forward with dental implants.
Find out how bone grafts in Virginia Beach can help prepare your jaw for tooth replacement.
Preserve Bone After Tooth Removal
Placing graft material in an extraction site may help limit the amount of bone deterioration that occurs during healing, preserving more of the ridge for future treatment.
Strengthen Implant Support
When the jaw lacks sufficient bone height or width, grafting can help develop a more suitable foundation for dental implants.
Rebuild Areas of Bone Loss
Bone grafting can address deficiencies caused by missing teeth, periodontal disease, or injury, depending on the extent and location of the damage.
Support Natural Healing
Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), prepared from a patient's own blood, may be incorporated into grafting procedures to support tissue healing.
Accommodate Complex Implant Cases
Patients with significant bone deterioration may require grafting as part of a broader treatment plan involving multiple implants or full-arch tooth replacement.
Plan With Detailed Imaging
Three-dimensional imaging allows surgeons to evaluate existing bone dimensions and identify nearby anatomical structures before performing grafting procedures.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bone Grafts
Q What is a dental bone graft?
A dental bone graft is a surgical procedure that adds grafting material to an area of the jaw where bone has been lost or is insufficient. The material provides a framework that supports new bone development during healing.
Q Why would I need a bone graft before dental implants?
Dental implants require adequate jawbone support for stable placement. If the bone is too thin, shallow, or deteriorated, grafting may be recommended to improve the available foundation before implant surgery.
Q Can bone grafting be done at the same time as a tooth extraction?
Bone graft material can sometimes be placed into the socket immediately after a tooth is removed. This approach, often called socket preservation, may help maintain bone volume for future implant placement.
Q What materials are used for dental bone grafts?
Bone grafts may use material obtained from the patient's own body, processed donor bone, animal-derived sources, or synthetic substitutes. The appropriate material depends on the treatment goals and clinical circumstances.
Q Is dental bone grafting painful?
Local anesthesia is used to numb the surgical area for dental bone grafting, and sedation may be available when appropriate. Temporary swelling, soreness, or tenderness can occur afterward and is generally managed with postoperative care instructions.
Q How long does a dental bone graft take to heal?
Initial soft-tissue healing after a dental bone graft usually occurs within a few weeks, but new bone development and maturation often require several months. Healing time depends on the graft size, location, and individual health factors.
Q Can dental implants be placed immediately after bone grafting?
Sometimes dental implants can be placed immediately after bone grafting. Smaller grafts may be performed alongside implant placement when sufficient existing bone is available for initial stability. More extensive grafting often requires a separate healing period before implants can be placed.
Q What happens if I don't have enough bone for dental implants?
A surgeon may recommend bone grafting or another preparatory procedure to improve the available support for dental implants. In some cases, alternative implant positions or treatment approaches may be considered based on the patient's anatomy and restorative needs.
