Infected tooth removal, bone graft?
 

Hi, I have an infected root canal tooth(molar) with jaw involvement that will be removed next week. The surgeon gave me the option of having cadaver bone graft placed for an x-tra $500. He left it up to me and didn't recommend one way or the other what I do. Do I need to do this, will it heal better? I do have ms/lyme so am concerned putting a foreign substance inn there might set things off. He didn't know about that aspect of it.

thanks

Hi diaba,

Good to hear that you are having that infected tooth removed.... your immune system will thank you for that :-)

With regard to having a bone graft after the removal of that tooth...

One.. bone graft should not be placed in an extraction site if the jawbone is infected. Ideally in that case, a small second surgery would be done in the surgical site about 2-4 weeks after the extraction of the tooth. Bone graft material and infected bone do not mingle well together. Sometimes, the infected bone is able to be debrided at the time of the extraction and so long as there is a good solid bone remaining with a good blood flow, the graft can be placed with much success.

Two... Bone graft material is placed in the socket of the extracted tooth to stimulate new growth of bone. The body eventually resorbs the graft material and replaces it with your own bone.... which helps to keep a fuller more natural curvature of the bone instead of a hollow depression where the tooth use to be.

Three.. There is some concern and controversy about placing bone graft material in patients who have any chronic medical condition such as lymes or any autoimmune disorder. The pros and cons should be discussed with your dentist and possibly your physician as well. It is an individual decision based on your overall health history and present well being.

Please let us know how everything goes... I'm sure you will be just fine :)

Bryanna

thanks
 

Thanks bryanna, he does plan to debride the jaw infection before placing the cement. Does the bone graft help it heal faster or make it take longer?

thanks again, diana

Hi diana,

If the jawbone is healthy and there is no residual infection prior to placing the bone graft material, then the bone graft helps with the healing process because it stimulates your own bone to grow into the graft which ultimately creates a higher, thicker bone level. Similar to what was there before the tooth was removed.

When you have a tooth removed, there is a large hole in the bone where the tooth use to be. The bone on the sides of the hole collapse down to partially fill that hole but the end result is a thinner, flatter, level of jawbone. All extractions cause 50% or more bone loss at the site of the extraction if bone graft material is not placed in the hole.

Hope this information is helpful. Please keep us posted on how you're doing!
Bryanna




bone.

Thanks again for your help. It doesn't appear my bio dentist is going to get ahold of me to give me any advice before I have this done, so very happy to have this info from you. I'll let you know how it goes.

Also, am I supposed to be on antibiotics after this, if so who gives them to me?

thanks again, diana

Hi Diana,

The dentist will determine if antibiotics are necessary.... sometimes they are, sometimes not. It depends on what he finds when he removes the tooth. He will also be the one to prescribe them to you if needed.

.......You are very welcome.... I am happy to be of help :)

Bryanna

okay had it done on Monday, other than a migraine from the meds I thought it went pretty well. Did get chills for several days, nasal and forehead sinus' feel inflamed,and I don't feel very well. The pain which wasn't much at the start is actually starting to increase(due to healing i hope?)How will I know if I'm getting an infection? the original infection didn't cause much pain, will I need a new x-ray taken?

Just concerned since I'm not feeling very well right now.

thanks, diana

Hi diana,

Glad to hear the surgery is all done. Usually, the surgical site will start to feel better after a few days, not worse. You may get various sensations of pressure and some achiness, you could feel a bit ill for a few days, but at this point you should start to feel better and the pain should not increase.

Try to determine if the pain is actually worse or just different. When you do go back to see the surgeon?

Bryanna

I think it's worse but maybe just different, so I'm not totally sure. I go back to see the surgeon tomorrow.

ok, keep us posted!