A bone graft is a type of surgery which is performed in people who do not have enough bone in their jaw to put in a dental implant. In this case, bone graft surgery helps to increase the amount of bone available.
Types of bone grafts
- Minor bone grafting uses bone from another part of your jaw. You have a local anaesthetic. This medicine makes your mouth numb and you do not feel any pain, but you stay awake for the procedure. You can go home when the treatment is finished.
- Major bone grafting is used if you need a larger amount of bone. It takes bone from somewhere else in your body (usually the hip). You have a general anaesthetic. This medicine makes you sleep during the procedure so that you do not feel any pain. You need to stay in the hospital for a short time after your surgery.
After the procedure, you may feel swelling, bruising and pain for several weeks. In most cases, the bone graft is left to heal for 3 to 6 months before you can have your dental implant treatment.
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