When Is Bone Grafting Needed for Implants?

If oral care is not properly maintained,

cavities or gum disease can develop,

and if the symptoms become severe, you may eventually

lose your natural teeth.

When a tooth is lost, it does not only affect chewing function.

It can also have an impact on overall health,

such as nutritional imbalance or digestive problems.

In addition, it can also cause

aesthetic discomfort. Since our teeth cannot regenerate or recover

after being damaged or lost,

careful daily management is necessary

to protect oral health.

And if a tooth has been lost? You should receive treatment to replace the lost area

as soon as possible.

Among various treatment methods for

missing teeth, implants have recently become a popular option.

An artificial fixture is placed into the jawbone,

and once it stabilizes, a prosthetic is placed on top of it

to replace the function of a natural tooth.

In terms of both function and aesthetics,

it can restore about 80–90% of the function of a real tooth,

so it has become a treatment many patients prefer recently. However, a successful result can only be expected

after clearly checking the condition of the mouth

before proceeding with surgery.

To place an implant, there must be enough jawbone,

and if there is not enough, additional treatment such as bone grafting

should be considered.

Bone grafting for implants

is a process that supplements insufficient jawbone

to help the implant stay firmly fixed.

🦷 So is bone grafting

a must? 👀

In fact, if there is enough bone volume

and density,

implant placement is possible

without a separate graft.

However, if dentures have been worn for a long time

or the missing tooth area has been left untreated for an extended period,

the bone is gradually resorbed

and the alveolar bone becomes weaker,

so bone grafting is often performed together

for a more stable procedure.

Just as a tree needs firm ground

to take root properly,

an implant also needs strong jawbone support

to remain solid for a long time.

If only a small amount of bone grafting is needed,

bone grafting and implant placement

can be done at the same time.

However, in other cases,

enough recovery time is needed

so that the grafted bone can settle stably.

During the recovery period,

it is very important to avoid alcohol and smoking

and to maintain thorough oral hygiene.

It is also important not to stimulate

the graft area excessively.

There may be sutures at the surgical site,

or swelling may occur,

and touching it frequently with your hand or tongue

can cause inflammation, so please be careful.

Today we took some time to learn about

bone grafting for implants together :)

Some people may wonder,

Do I really need bone grafting? It costs extra, so can’t I just skip it?

If bone grafting is deemed necessary

by a specialist,

we recommend proceeding with it

for a higher surgical success rate and a better prognosis :) 💕

Seoulob Dental Hospital Jamsil 4th and 5th floors, 196 Baekjegobun-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul