Do most people have a bone graft after having a molar extracted? If so what is the benefit? Can the bone graft be done at a later date if necessary?
My dentist didn't say anything about a bone graft but the dental assistant recommended that I should get one or the bone would dip and it would make my facial features looked more aged. I decided to just go for the extraction - I felt that was traumatic enough but now I'm wondering if it would have been wise to have had the bone graft done at the same time. What do most people do?
Chetzie

Hi chetzie,

Perhaps your dentist should have explained more thoroughly the advantages to having the bone grafting done.

Any time you have a tooth extracted, you lose a minimum of 50% of bone height because the hole where the tooth was sitting does not fill in completely with new bone. The sides of the socket slowly collapse into the hole.... lowering the overall height of the bone. This is the "dip" that the assistant told you about.

During the procedure, the bone graft material is packed solidly into the hole. As the socket heals, the immune system is stimulated by the graft material to grow new bone. Eventually turning over the graft material to all of your own bone.

The advantages of a bone graft are..... overall less bone loss by the time the site has healed. Which means there would be little to no dip....making replacement options for this tooth such as an implant, bridge or partial denture easier to fit more closely to having your own natural tooth.

If the bone is healthy and not infected, it is ideal to place the graft at the time of the extraction because that is when the blood supply is abundant and the bone is surgically stimulated which encourages lots of good healing cells creating a more favorable outcome.

If the graft is placed at a later date, after the socket has healed, then the site has to be surgically prepped to receive the graft. You cannot just lay bone graft on top of bone.... it needs to be placed inside of bone to encourage new growth.

If your tooth extraction was done less than 2 weeks ago and the bone is healthy and not infected, then you may still be able to have the bone grafting done now. The surgeon would need to do some minor surgery to re-establish a healthy blood supply before putting in the graft material.

There are some dentists who routinely place bone grafts with most extractions and others who do it less often. There is no set protocol, yet.

I hope this answered your question.

Bryanna