Huntsville, AL Oral Surgeon
S. Clint Hudson DMD, MD, LLC
2317 Whitesburg Drive
Huntsville, AL 35801
(256) 533-1282
Oral surgeon in Huntsville, AL Call For Pricing Options
Follow Us Online:

Find Us

2317 Whitesburg Drive , Huntsville, AL 35801

Map & Directions




Posts for: February, 2017

By S. Clint Hudson DMD, MD, LLC
February 15, 2017
Category: Dental Procedures
Tags: Bone Grafts  

Would you like to get a dental implant, but it's been a few years since you lost your tooth? Bone loss, common after the loss of a tooth, bone graftsdoesn't have to prevent you from receiving an implant. Bone grafting can restore and strengthen your jawbone. Dr. S. Clint Hudson, your Huntsville, AL, oral surgeon, shares some information about bone grafts.

Why are bone grafts needed?

Dental implants bond to your jawbone, providing a secure foundation for the crowns that will be attached to the top of them. A strong, deep jawbone is needed to adequately support implants. Unfortunately, after you lose a tooth, your jawbone begins to shrink, losing depth and width. If you've been affected by bone loss, it's important to build up your jawbone with a bone graft.

Bone grafts aren't only used in preparation for the implant process. Oral surgeons use them when gum disease causes bone loss or if an injury damages your jawbone. Bone grafts may also be recommended to replace bone damaged by cysts or tumors.

How does bone grafting work?

Adding small amounts of bone to your jawbone helps build it up, creating enough depth and width to support dental implants. If you're expecting to see actual pieces of bone, you may be surprised. Bone granules, powder, putty or gel are commonly used in grafting. The procedure is less complicated than it may seem. Before it begins, you'll receive a local anesthetic and will be comfortably numb.

Your Huntsville oral surgeon will make a small incision in your gum and then place the grafting material inside. The material acts as a scaffold around which new bone will be formed. The bone-building process generally takes up to seven months. Once X-rays reveal an improvement in your jawbone, you can begin the dental implant process.

Do you think you may need a bone graft? Call Dr. Hudson, your Huntsville, AL, oral surgeon, at (256) 533-1282 to schedule an appointment.