Can You Have A Bone Graft And Dental Implant Placed At The Same Time?
The entire process to place a dental implant can sometimes take as long as 12 months. For some people, this is too long because they won't be able to use their new dental implant for a long time. Fortunately, dental implant technology and practices have come a long way in the last few years. Because of this, some patients can have bone grafts placed at the same time as dental implants. Although not all patients can have bone grafts and dental implants placed on the same day, it is possible to do so.
There needs to be sufficient bone to stabilize the implant
Before a prosthodontist does anything, they evaluate how much available bone there is at the site of implant placement. There should be enough bone available to hold the dental implant in place after placement. If your prosthodontist can confirm that you have enough healthy bone in the area, then they may place a small bone graft followed by the dental implant.
The small bone graft will be necessary to provide more stability in the long term. And if you do qualify for this approach, then you should be able to use your dental implant for chewing purposes within several months once the bone graft and dental implant heal.
Thin or porous bone will need a bone graft first, implant later
Sometimes, especially in older patients, the available bone is thin or porous. Thin or porous bone cannot sufficiently stabilize a dental implant. As such, a larger bone graft will be necessary at the outset. If this is the case, then you'll need to wait several months for the bone graft to integrate with your jawbone before you can have the dental implant placed.
If your prosthodontist were to place a dental implant at a site where there is insufficient bone, then there is a strong chance that that dental implant will fail in the near future.
If there is infection present at the site, it's best to wait
If you have had an infected tooth extracted and there is still some infection in the area, then your dentist will recommend that you wait for your bone graft to heal first. Placing a dental implant into an infected socket will increase the risk of implant failure in the near future.
If you have enough good quality bone and no infection is present, then you might be able to have a bone graft and dental implant placed on the same day. Speak to a professional for more information about dental implant solutions.