Does bone grafting hurt? In fact, pain is inevitable when performing jaw bone grafting. However, throughout the surgery, the patient will not feel any pain or discomfort thanks to local anesthesia. The pain appears when the anesthesia gradually wears off, the customer can take painkillers or apply some other ways to feel more comfortable.
1. In which cases is jaw bone grafting required?
Jaw bone grafting is only indicated in the following cases:
1.1. Customers who have just lost teeth or after tooth extraction
In cases where customers have just lost teeth or have to have teeth extracted due to tooth decay, trauma, strong impact, etc., doctors often advise jaw bone grafting at that time to avoid jaw bone loss later. Because only bone needs to be added to the position where the tooth was just extracted, the bone grafting process will be much faster and simpler.
1.2. Customers with long-term tooth loss
The jawbone will gradually atrophy when teeth are lost for a long time, but it will be difficult for customers to recognize this condition until the face is affected. Therefore, to ensure aesthetics and chewing ability, customers should perform jawbone grafting.
1.3. Customers with poor jawbone quality
In many cases, although there is still enough bone density for implant placement, the jawbone quality is not stable and firm enough, the doctor still requires bone grafting.
2. Why is jawbone grafting necessary when implanting implants?
The reason why the jawbone can develop healthily is thanks to the force exerted during the chewing process. Therefore, the alveolar bone can be destroyed by up to 50% when a tooth is lost for more than 3 years, the jawbone at the tooth loss site no longer receives force, so the density and volume of the bone will decrease.
In addition, patients using removable dentures or porcelain bridges for many years also cause the gums to shrink or some oral diseases such as tooth decay, periodontitis, … if not treated can also cause infection leading to jawbone loss.
In the above cases, when wanting to perform Implant placement, the doctor will prescribe bone grafting to support the Implant pillar to be firmly and permanently held inside the jawbone. At the same time, this will also help promote the jawbone to regenerate new bone cells in cases where the bone is thin or heavily resorbed, by adding an appropriate amount of bone to the missing bone position.
In addition, some cases of upper jaw tooth restoration require a sinus lift technique to support the Implant placement process to take place more quickly and safely.
3. Current bone grafting techniques
Along with the development of science and technology today, bone grafting techniques have become more diverse and abundant with many different bone sources.
3.1. Artificial bone grafting
Artificial bone is created by humans with the main ingredient being Hydroxyapatite or Beta-tricalcium phosphate, similar to natural bone. Artificial bone grafting is the most popular method today thanks to the following factors:
– Always available
– Low cost
– No need for multiple surgeries
– Not too demanding on the performing dentist.
3.2. Autologous bone grafting
This is a technique of taking the patient’s bone from another location such as the chin bone, pelvis, … to graft into the jaw bone. Because these bone tissues are part of the customer’s body, with high compatibility, the grafting rate will always reach 100%.
However, this method is not really popular for the following reasons:
– Customers need to undergo surgery twice
– High cost
– Dentists need to be licensed by the Ministry of Health
3.3. Allogeneic bone grafting
In addition to the above two bone sources, other allogeneic bone sources are also used in the world, such as bone donated by deceased people and bone from animals. However, due to the low success rate, high cost and difficulty in finding, this method is rarely used.
4. How does the bone grafting process work?
The bone grafting process consists of the following 4 basic steps:
4.1. General examination
When deciding to implant teeth, the customer will be examined by a doctor for general oral health and X-rays. From the results obtained, the doctor can determine whether the customer needs a bone graft before implanting teeth or not.
4.2. Anesthesia
To ensure safety, avoid infection and complications during bone grafting, the doctor will perform steps such as scaling teeth, cleaning the oral cavity… After that, the customer will be given general anesthesia to minimize pain.
4.3. Bone grafting
The doctor will open the gum flap to access the jawbone. All surgical instruments are sterilized and disinfected according to the safety standards of the Ministry of Health. After that, the bone piece will be carefully and gently placed on the surface of the jawbone where the graft is needed and fixed with specialized medical materials.
4.4. Closing and finishing the bone grafting procedure
In the final step, the doctor will suture and shape the gums, then use an antiseptic solution to clean the wound and finish the surgery.
5. Does bone grafting hurt?
Because the process of bone grafting involves the gums, pain is inevitable. However, thanks to the support of anesthesia, the patient will not feel pain or discomfort throughout the surgery, and the doctor can also easily perform bone grafting.
When the anesthesia gradually wears off, the patient will feel pain and soreness, but it will be significantly reduced if the pain reliever is used in the correct dosage as directed by the doctor. In addition, customers can apply some other pain relief methods such as ice packs, hot packs, etc., but should not arbitrarily use pain relievers or antibiotics without a prescription from a specialist to avoid harm to oral health.
In addition, the pain of bone grafting depends on other factors such as the doctor’s skills or the modern machinery and technology used. Therefore, to limit pain and possible complications, customers should choose to have implants and bone grafting at reputable and quality dental facilities.
6. How long does it take for bone grafting to heal?
In fact, how long it takes for bone grafting to heal depends on each person’s different constitution. Normally, it takes an average of 2-6 months for the jawbone to heal completely, after which the doctor will plan the next treatment steps.
7. Notes when grafting artificial bone
For the jawbone grafting surgery to be successful and create conditions for the implant process to be more favorable, customers should note the following:
7.1. Before bone grafting
Choose a reputable dental clinic with a team of highly skilled doctors so that the bone grafting procedure is safe and most effective.
Learn about the bone grafting technique to be applied. In case of using artificial bone, it is necessary to ensure that the bone has a clear origin and is of guaranteed quality.
Do not use stimulants such as alcohol, beer, cigarettes, etc. 4-6 weeks before bone grafting.
Prepare yourself mentally before bone grafting and rest assured that you will not feel pain thanks to the anesthetic.
7.2. After bone grafting
After the surgery is finished, bleeding will occur at the surgical site for about 30 minutes. This is normal and the patient needs to bite the gauze tightly to stop the bleeding until the bleeding stops.
Absolutely do not eat or drink for the first hour after surgery.
The wound site will be swollen, painful and sore in the first days after bone grafting. At this time, customers can apply ice to reduce swelling and use antibiotics as prescribed by the doctor to avoid infection.
Follow the doctor’s oral hygiene instructions
Re-examine according to the appointment schedule and contact the doctor immediately if there are any unusual signs.
Conclusion
So because it affects the gums, pain and discomfort when grafting bone is inevitable. However, the pain will only appear when the anesthetic gradually wears off. To minimize pain, customers should choose bone grafting at a reputable dental clinic equipped with modern machinery and technology and a team of highly qualified doctors to bring the best results.
