Dental bone grafting for implant placement

When the extraction of a tooth is unavoidable, implant placement is often considered. However, this is only possible if there is sufficient bone around the missing tooth.

If this is not the case, a dental bone graft can be used to alleviate the problem.

Studio Dentaire is a practice specializing in smile aesthetics and dental implants in Lyon. Our team comprises three dental surgeons: Dr. Hervé, Dr. Romane Touati and Dr. Gokhan Yilmaz.

Here we explain what a transplant is and how the procedure works.

What is a dental bone graft?

The purpose of a dental bone graft is to increase the height and/or thickness of the bone beneath the gums when the latter are insufficient.

The graft used can be of different types: it can be taken from behind the wisdom teeth (autogenous graft), from a specialized bank (allogenic graft), from an animal (xenogenic graft) or of synthetic origin (alloplastic graft).

When can this type of transplant be used?

Jaw bone grafting will be considered in two main situations:

insufficient bone volume for dental implant placement

insufficient bone volume to perform a gum graft

A dental implant takes the form of a titanium screw that is inserted into the jawbone to replace the missing root, and is then fitted with a prosthesis.

When a tooth is extracted, the alveolar bone will naturally shrink, as it no longer supports anything. Unless an implant is placed immediately after extraction, bone volume and quality are often insufficient, necessitating a graft.

The need for a graft will be established by your practitioner at the time of the dental check-up prior to drawing up your treatment plan. A 3D X-ray of your jaw will be taken to check your bone volume.

Procedure

Studio Dentaire performs alveolar bone grafting in the operating theatre of its practice, in the heart of the Part-Dieu district.

The dental surgeon will reconstitute the necessary volume of bone by placing the graft under the affected tooth or teeth and immobilizing it with osteosynthesis screws.

The bone is then allowed to renew itself before a gum graft or implant can be inserted. This usually takes between 3 and 6 months.

The operation is performed under local anaesthetic.

Bone grafting is not covered by the French Social Security system. Some mutual insurance companies can offer you coverage. If necessary, we can arrange a personalized payment schedule.

Dental bone grafting for implant placement

What is a dental bone graft?

When can this type of transplant be used?

Procedure

Post-operative advice from Dr Gokhan Yilmaz