How much healing time can i expect for a dental bone graft? i'm going in to have an implant put in, and they will be using bone from elsewhere in my mouth. i'm wondering how long it will take for my mouth to heal, and if the part of the mouth they take th

Grafted : Grafted bone, according to the literature, takes about four months to mature. Sometimes bone grafting is done at the same time as implant placement, sometimes before implant placement. It depends upon what your exact condition is. Nowadays, the most accurate method to evaluate the shape, volume and density of the bone available is to do a cat scan of your jaw.

As : As drs zweig & tupac have stated, it will take several months for the bone to heal to allow implant placement, and another three to four months for the implant to integrate. There are some practitioners who advocate a more immediate approach and try to move things along a bit quicker. This forum is not the place to dabate that philosophy. I, for one, take the tried and proven method by letting nature take its course. Let the bone heal, let the implant integrate, and enjoy your new tooth. Rushing things and having a failure only means you need to go back to square one.

I : I think the real question that you are asking is when will i be able to function with my new implant. The exact time of bone healing is indeterminate, since we will not be looking at your graft areas under a microscope. However depending on where the implant is placed, you might expect your dentist to place a final, functional restoration on the implant in four to six months.

3-4 months usually: A bone graft in the mouth usually takes from 3-4 months to fully heal. This also depends on the size, location, and type of graft used. Bone harvested from the individual tends to heal a bit faster.

3-6 months: Bone grafts depending of the size and location can take 3-6 months to heal. Ask your doctor about the estimated healing time.

Four months: You will only have pain and selling for a few days, if any. However, the prevailing thought now is that we wait four months after the graft to place the implants, but we all heal at our own rate. Where the bone comes from is clinical judgement. Discuss any concern with your surgeon.