Bone Grafting in Greeley, CO

At Affordable Dental Clinics in Greeley, CO, we perform bone grafting regularly and have plenty of experience with the procedure. Bone grafting is rarely done as a standalone procedure. It’s usually done in preparation for a dental implant.

Patients who don’t have strong enough bones to support an implant will need a bone graft. Alternatively, if your dental health is fine, and your jawbones are strong, a bone graft won’t be required before placing a dental implant. We’ll need to assess your dental status here at Affordable Dental Clinics before we recommend the best course of action.

The Procedure

Bone grafting is a simpler procedure than most of our patients seem to think initially. After determining that you would benefit from a bone graft, we decide where to obtain it. We can use bones from a cadaver, your chin or hard palate, or use synthetic bones.

All of these have demonstrated success. The downside of using your bones for the graft is that you’ll experience discomfort and swelling for a few days from the extraction site. After obtaining the graft, we’ll place it in the area we want to strengthen so that it’s involved in new bone formation. The formation of new bone usually takes several months, so patience will need to be required.

Dental Implants

Dental implants are the reason we do bone grafting. Patients who need to replace a missing tooth won’t be able to receive an implant without a strong and durable bone to support it. An implant entails placing a titanium screw in the jawbone then adding a crown onto the screw.

Without strong bone to support it, the titanium screw won’t be properly fixated in the jaw. With a bone graft, however, we can overcome this problem. Keep in mind that it takes time for a screw to attach to the jawbone properly, so this might be a lengthy process.

The crown can be added to the screw after proper stabilization. You’ll then be able to resume your life normally. Dental implants are durable and can last a lifetime. They also look identical to natural teeth.