Dental bone grafting in Lehi

Jawbone stays thick when a tooth root presses on it every time you chew. Take that root away, or let gum disease eat at it for years, and the bone tends to shrink. You might be a good fit for a graft if:

• An implant is your goal, but x-rays show too little bone to anchor it
• Old gum infections left bone missing around teeth you still have
• A tooth is about to come out and you want to keep the spot ready for later
• The gums dip inward where a tooth once was

X-rays and a close look at the area tell your dentist how much bone is there now. Healing can be slower for people who smoke, who have diabetes that is not well controlled or who take certain medicines. That is why a complete health history matters. When grafting does not make sense for you, our team will walk through other ways to protect or replace teeth.

You will go home with written steps made for your graft. Most lists look something like this:

• On day one, hold a cold pack to your cheek in short sessions
• Pick soft meals and let the other side of your mouth do the chewing
• Leave the site alone, so no poking it with a finger or your tongue
• For a few days, no straws, no smoking and no tough workouts
• Use any medicine just the way your dentist tells you

Seeing a few tiny, sand-like grains in your mouth early on is often nothing to worry about. Reach out to us for bleeding that will not let up, swelling that keeps getting bigger, or a fever. Our post-op care page has more healing tips.