When you think of restorative dentistry, do fillings and crowns come to mind? Of course, you're right, but did you know that bone grafting is part of the tooth replacement process? At Hughes Dental Arts Centre in Herrin, IL, bone grafting is a simple and very effective treatment. Dr. Christopher Hughes is the dentist who has all the details.

What is bone grafting?

Dental bone grafts are small pieces of human or animal bone inserted into an empty tooth socket or other damaged areas of the jaw bone. These allografts, as dentists call them, quickly begin to adhere to the jaw, forming a scaffold for tooth replacement with dental implants.

Why would someone need bone grafting?

At Hughes Dental Arts Centre in Herrin, Dr. Hughes recommends dental implants for his Herrin area patients who have lost teeth through accident, gum disease, abscess, or dental decay. Usually, the bone surrounding the empty socket starts deteriorating quickly after extraction.

Also, gum disease damages the jaw bone as do other medical problems such as post-menopausal osteoporosis, osteomyelitis, a serious bone infection, and Paget's disease in which bone loses its ability to build new cells. Some individuals are born with malformations of the jaw which dental bone grafts may improve.

Further, some prescription medications lead to bone loss in the jaw and other areas of the body. Crooked teeth, jaw joint dysfunction (TMJ), and even wearing conventional dentures for years place undue stresses on the jaw, wearing the bone out. In these situations, bone grafts add a large measure of durability, width, and height to the alveolar ridge.

Graft as soon as possible

While your dentist may be able to place a bone graft successfully (and have it take) long after dental extraction, placement immediately after extraction proves best, says Dental Economics. Called socket preservation, this grafting surgery is simple, comfortable, and accomplishes three things:

• Preservation of the size, shape, and strength of the empty socket
• Improvement of the quality of the blood clot, thus promoting good healing
• Improvement of the circulation and bone-forming capabilities of surrounding bone cells.

Call Hughes Dental Arts Centre

Dr. Christopher Hughes performs bone grafting procedures right in our Herrin, IL, office. To learn more about this easy and effective treatment, call us for a consultation: (618) 993-3100.