Visit Tampa Surgical Arts for a Bone Graft Procedure from a Triple-Board-Certified Oral Surgeon

Dr. Manik S. Bedi is the oral surgeon to trust for a bone graft procedure in the Tampa Bay area. Dr. Bedi, who is triple board certified, leads our team here at Tampa Surgical Arts and you can trust him for the dental procedure you need. During a consultation at our office, Dr. Bedi will learn about your reasons for needing a bone graft and tell you all about the treatment options he offers. Throughout the entire process, Dr. Bedi will ensure you are comfortable and that all of your questions are answered. That’s just the way we do things here at Tampa Surgical Arts.

What Is a Bone Graft?

A bone graft involves applying supplemental material or donor tissue to a bone in the jaw that has receded or otherwise deteriorated. In some cases, the bone graft can involve the patient’s own bone that is harvested from another part of their body; in other cases, the bone may be harvested from another species altogether. Once the bone graft has been completed, the patient’s cells will get to work to repair and strengthen the tissues surrounding the area. Bone grafting is often a necessary step for patients who want to receive dental implants.

How Is a Bone Graft Performed?

Typically, a bone graft is a simple outpatient procedure that Dr. Bedi can take care of right in our office. These simple bone grafts fall in three major categories:

• Sinus lift – If you need to repair the bone around your molars, then you’ll require a sinus lift. It adds a bone between your jaw and maxillary sinuses and is called a sinus lift because the sinus membrane must be “lifted” to make room for the new bone.
• Socket graft – If you need to have a tooth extracted, it’s best to have a socket graft completed immediately afterward to preserve the underlying jawbone. Otherwise, if you have a tooth extracted without bone grafting, the underlying jawbone will begin to shrink rapidly. Dr. Bedi can extract the tooth and then place a socket graft to fill the void in your jawbone, ensuring the existing tissue regenerates and repairs itself naturally.
• Ridge augmentation – Sometimes, the bone surrounding a missing tooth cannot naturally repair itself and, when this happens, a ridge augmentation is needed. Dr. Bedi will recreate the structure of the socket and gum line by placing a bone graft into the damaged section.

If you require major bone augmentation, whether due to a congenital defect or traumatic injury, it will require a hospital stay and general anesthesia. The deteriorated jawbone will be repaired using your own bone, usually from your skull, hip, or knee.

What Are Some of the Benefits of Bone Grafts?

A bone graft is often necessary for patients who plan on getting dental implants. Since dental implants require a stable jaw that is as close to its original dimension as possible, patients who have a deteriorating bone in their jaw are not eligible for dental implants until they receive a bone graft.

Some of the other benefits of bone grafts may also include restoring stability to the jaw, improving facial appearance, and helping to prevent future bone loss.

What Treatment Considerations Should I Keep in Mind?

Patients who undergo a bone grafting procedure should be aware that the recovery period can be longer than most other oral surgery procedures. For example, even the simplest bone graft can take at least three months to heal, with most recovery periods lasting anywhere from six to nine months. Recovery time typically depends on the complexity of the bone graft.

What Should I Expect Before and After the Bone Graft Procedure?

You’ll receive specific instructions from Dr. Bedi in your treatment packet about what to do before the bone graft procedure. In most cases, you’ll be asked to fast in the hours leading up to the oral surgery, as well as stop certain medications that may interfere with the anesthesia.

Full recovery after the bone graft can take up to a year. However, you should be able to return to work and normal activities a few days following the procedure. You’ll experience swelling and pain, which can be addressed with a pain reliever. Additionally, you’ll want to eat a soft food diet until the discomfort decreases.

Consult with Dr. Bedi about Bone Grafting

The team at Tampa Surgical Arts is here to help you. If you need a bone graft and want to be seen by an experienced oral surgeon, contact us today to schedule a free consult with Dr. Bedi. We have a clinic in Dunedin, FL, and serve patients all around the Tampa Bay area.