Do I Need an Oral Surgeon for Bone Grafting?
Posted by writeradmin
I’m getting a dental implant. My dentist suggested bone grafting in preparation for the dental implant procedure. He has offered to do the grafting himself and said he has three year’s experience with doing the grafting. Is it safe to do that with him, or should I see an oral surgeon to have this done?
Camille
Dear Camille,
For those who may not understand why bone grafting may be necessary, let me explain. Dental implants are the best tooth replacement possible. That is because while most replacements focus on simply replacing the crown of the tooth, implants also replace the tooth root. This is essential to protecting the bone in your jaw.
That bone also has to integrate with the implants in order to keep them secure and in place. This is a process known as osseointegration. Without enough bone to support the implant, then the procedure will fail. Some people need bone grafted in because they lost some when they lost their tooth.
As for your question, there are plenty of general dentists who do oral surgery and do it quite well. Because your dentist has been doing it for three years, I suspect he can do it quite well. One thing I would look for is advanced, post-doctoral training from one of the following institutes. There are others, too.
- International Congress of Oral Implantologists
- The Dawson Academy
- Misch Implant Institute
- American Academy of Implant Dentistry
- Engel Institute
Given this type of training, you are probably safe using your dentist instead of going to an oral surgeon. If you are still uncomfortable with the idea and decide to go to an oral surgeon, make sure it is the dentist who is doing your implant that plans the placement and NOT the oral surgeon. They are not qualified to plan the placement, although many think they are.
This blog is brought to you by advanced dentist in Arnold, MD, Dr. Meredith Esposito.
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