How long does it take for a bone graft from your hip to form a base for dental implants, take to heal? Can yo?

Question

Can you return to work the next day?

Thank you! I'm down to basal bone(?)--only a few mm's in some areas so I know he's hoping to add height and density. I'm SO looking forward to this and hoping it works. Do they add some kind of block so you can't bite down while healing?

Answer 1

ONCE AGAIN, ANOTHER UNEDUCATED ANSWER FROM A DENTAL HYGIENIST.

I am a dentist.

Please disregard the answer from the dental hygienist. Hygienists, as you may know, go to school for two years. They learn a smattering of anatomy, a dash of pharmacology, a splash of microbiology, and the tiniest hint about dental procedures. Ultimately, their job is to clean teeth and gums. Yet here we have a hygienist, who doesn't know squat about bone grafting, telling you that "freez-dried" bone is a suitable substitute for a hip graft.

The doctor who has diagnosed your problem and has decided on the hip graft is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. They attend four years of college, four years of dental school, and four to six years of surgery residency after dental school. Hygienists may or may not even have bachelors degrees, and hygiene school is two measely years. I think it's safe to say that the oral surgeon is a thousand times more educated than the hygienist, and for a hygienist to question the clinical judgment of an oral surgeon is like a toddler questioning the manner in which his parents do their taxes. As a dentist, I'd think twice about questioning the clinical judgment of an oral surgeon.

There are a variety of bone grafting materials, and each has its purpose. Generally, hip grafts are ASIC grafts: Anterior Superior Iliac Crest grafts. Bone can be harvested elsewhere from the hip, however. Often times, some of the hard cortical bone is harvested along with the softer cancellous bone beneath. The benefits of using real bone, especially when there are hard cortical pieces, are very clear. Obviously, the hygienist doesn't have a stinking clue what they are....as expected.

Often times, when increased height of the jaw bone is desired, a hard piece of real bone grafted to the mandible is preferable as it is less likely to erode away resorb. Furthermore, by using real bone, you are getting the benefit of all the existing cells found within bone (osteoblasts, osteoclasts, osteoprogenitor cells, platelets and its PDGF, etc.), and bone growth (i.e. success of the graft) is more predictable and pronounced.

Freeze-dried bone works fine in many cases, but the problem with it is that it is very granular and can move easily. If you're trying to add vertical height to the alveolar bone in your jaw, it's not a very good material. Furthermore, freeze-dried bone serves as a framework upon which bone will grow, not as an actual bone replacement. Your body must grow bone into it. It's a very different process than using actual live bone.

As far as walking goes, yes, you should be able to walk. In fact, they generally want you up and walking the following day after the surgery. If you can't, they do what they can to make it so you can.

One of the risks of the graft (other than the standard risk of infection, hematoma, scarring, etc.) is damage to the lateral femoral nerve, which supplies sensation to the side of your thigh, resulting in anesthesia or paresthesia.

Good luck. I've taken part in this type of surgery before, and have managed the post-operative care for these patients. They generally do quite well.

Answer 2

Why are they using bone from your hip? Usually they can use freeze dried cadaver bone. In this case I would probably take the rest of the day off and you could go back to work the next day. I'm sure your hip would take longer to heal than your mouth. Get a second opinion and ask about the freeze dried bone.

Answer 3

12 weeks; No your'e not going to be able to go to work the day after a graft. The bruising is very bad after a graft.

Answer 4

It all depends on how you feel. Its no worse than getting a tooth pulled. So like I said it depends on how you feel.