Dental bone and soft tissue grafting
Bone grafting can make your jaw strong enough for an implant
For your dental implant to be stable, you need to have enough healthy bone in your jaw. If you lost a tooth some time ago, the bone in your jaw may already have deteriorated. Likewise, if you’ve had an injury, a tumour or there’s a bone defect you were born with, you may not have enough healthy bone to hold the dental implant in place.
In this case, Dr van Mourik may recommend bone grafting to increase the amount of healthy bone in the area.
To add extra bone to the implant area, bone may be harvested from another part of your jaw or from your hip bone. Synthetic or animal bone graft material can also be used.
There are two types of bone grafting techniques
- Simultaneous implant placement and bone grafting: when bone loss is moderate, grafting and implant placement can be done at the same time
- Staged bone graft: in some cases of severe bone loss, the graft is first done and after several months of healing the implant is placed.
Soft tissue grafting corrects receding gums
If you have receding gums, you may need to have soft tissue grafting before your implant surgery. Otherwise the implant post (abutment) would be partly exposed. Gum tissue is grafted from the roof of your mouth or a nearby area of healthy gum. Once this has healed — usually in a couple of months — you are ready to have your dental implant.
Cost of dental bone and soft tissue grafting
Medicare will reimburse you for part of your initial consultation.
Dr van Mourik will give you a written quote for the cost of your dental graft surgery at the initial consultation. We’ll help you make applicable Medicare and private health insurance claims so that you’ll know how much of the cost will be covered.
If an anaesthetist is involved, we’ll give you contact details for the anaesthetist so you can obtain their fee schedule. Medicare and private health insurance will cover part of the anaesthetist’s costs
Dr van Mourik is a highly experienced Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon. He explains things clearly and he’s a good listener, so do ask him questions about your All on 4® surgery and tell him about any concerns you have — he’ll take the time to answer and manage your concerns sensitively.
(02) 9416 4809
admin@kristianvanmourik.com.au
Suite 5, 12 Tryon Rd, Lindfield 2070, NSW
Suite 104, 568 Oxford St, Bondi Junction 2022, NSW