Everything You Should Know About Hot and Cold Water Hamper Bone Grafting

Bone grafting is a dental procedure that restores the jawbone. When you think about oral health, you hardly consider the jaw’s health, even though it is a vital part of the oral cavity. Most dental procedures revolve around teeth health. However, caring for your jawbone’s health is crucial, especially if you want to have teeth throughout your life.

What Is a Dental Bone Graft?

It is a foreign bone tissue that a dentist in New Brunswick, NJ, places in your jawbone to repair and rebuild your natural bone when it is weak. Ideally, the jawbone can remain healthy as long as you have teeth in your mouth. Some factors that threaten bone health in your oral cavity are:

• Tooth loss – leaves the jawbone inactive, prompting the body to absorb the bone tissue gradually.
• Trauma – dental trauma can cause fractures and other damage to your jawbone.
• Infection – gum infections do not just hurt your gum tissue. If you delay seeking treatment from a dental office near you, the infection spreads to your bone tissue, weakening it.

Where Do Bone Grafts Come from?

For bone grafting in North Brunswick to be successful, a dentist must obtain a sizeable amount of healthy bone tissue, usually in the form of a granulated powder. Surgical dentists can obtain bone grafts from different sources, including the following:

• A part of your body
• Human donor
• A synthetic source

The Process of Bone Grafting

At KK Dental – North Brunswick, bone grafting procedures are particular for patients interested in replacing their teeth with dental implants. The process entails placing the granulated powder of the bone graft directly on the tooth socket at the location of tooth loss. Afterward, the dentist will put in sutures that will close the socket and allow the healing process to begin.

How Long Does It Take for Bone Grafts to Dissolve?

It takes about 3-6 months for a bone graft to dissolve once it is in your jawbone. Dissolving means that the jawbone matures and integrates with the other bone tissues to become your bone. During this period, you must be careful about what you eat and how you care for your mouth.

Post-Operative Instructions for Quick and Smooth Recovery

Before you leave the dental office, your dentist will provide several instructions that will benefit your recovery period. They include:

• Avoid chewing directly in this area – chew on the other side of the mouth, especially during the first two weeks of recovery.
• Eat soft foods only – the first week is especially crucial.
• Take your pain medication – the dentist will prescribe a large dosage to help manage your pain and inflammation after surgery.
• Brush very carefully – focus on the adjacent teeth to ensure they don’t harbor bacteria that could cause an infection. It is best to start brushing the next day after your procedure. However, you are better off changing to a soft-bristled toothbrush to avoid abrasion and excessive force on the grafted site.
• Use ice – cold compressing will alleviate swelling and pain for the first 48 hours post-surgery.

Can A Bone Graft Fail?

Unfortunately, not all bone grafting procedures are successful. A lot of it has to do with patients neglecting recommended after-care measures for their recovery period. Some of the indicators of a failed or failing bone graft are:

• Severe dental pain after one week of recovery – discomfort is normal during the first 3-7 days post-surgery. Anything more than that is worth reporting to your surgical dentist.
• Tooth sensitivity – if your adjacent teeth are overly sensitive after surgery, call your dentist immediately.
• Discharge of the wound
• Gum inflammation – carries other symptoms such as red, puffy, and bleeding gums. While you should anticipate some swelling and soreness during the first week of recovery, it should improve with time.
• Receding gums – your gums should look and feel fuller and thicker after surgery. Gum shrinking and thinning are indicators that your bone graft has failed.