Bone Grafting in Rhode Island

Bone grafting can result in more swelling and discomfort than a routine dental implant; however, in most cases over-the-counter medication is effective in controlling your discomfort. Dr. English will provide detailed instructions on how to care for your oral health after the surgery and how to effectively manage your pain.

Healing time after receiving bone grafts can vary based on the extent of the procedure and your overall health. Most of our Rhode Island patients feel back to normal after a week or two, but it takes several months for the bone to completely heal.

The initial healing process only takes about two weeks. After two weeks, your mouth will feel pretty much normal. However, it will take longer for new bone to grow around the bone granules implanted in your jawbone.

Depending on your case and how fast your body responds to the graft, it can take anywhere between 3-6 months for the bone graft to fully integrate with your mouth. Dr. English and the team at RI Oral Surgery & Implant Center will see you for checkups during this time to see how you’re recovering. You can’t get your permanent dental implant until the graft has fully healed, so keep this in mind.

Absolutely. Dental implants are the best overall and most long-lasting way to replace your missing teeth. Whether you’re missing just one tooth or you’ve lost multiple teeth, investing in dental implants and bone grafting will be worth it in the long run. Your new smile will look and feel completely natural, and you will likely keep your dental implant for the rest of your life if you take good care of your mouth.

First, you should make sure you alter your diet properly. You’ll need to avoid hard, sharp, crunchy, and chewy foods, as these could irritate or damage the bone graft site. Primarily, you’ll eat liquid or soft foods like smoothies and yogurt during the first few days of your recovery. You can start eating firmer foods like scrambled eggs and soft macaroni after 5-7 days, in most cases.

You’ll also want to avoid smoking. Smoking can damage the surgical site and interfere with the initial healing process, so avoid it for at least 7-14 days. Ideally, you should quit smoking altogether.

It’s also best to avoid brushing the bone graft site directly until Dr. Ray English says it’s safe to do so. Don’t poke, prod, or mess with the treated area, either. Touching and disturbing the wound may interfere with healing and lead to a higher risk of infection.

Yes. However, if your surgeon uses self-dissolving sutures, we recommend that you drink iced coffee rather than hot coffee. You should avoid hot coffee and other beverages like hot tea for at least two weeks after surgery. This is because hot drinks can cause your self-dissolving sutures to dissolve earlier than they're supposed to.

You can usually eat soft solid foods like scrambled eggs within 3-5 days of treatment. After about 1-2 weeks, you should be able to eat most solid foods. We still recommend avoiding really crunchy, hard, and sticky foods for at least 6-8 weeks, or until Dr. English says it’s safe to eat them again. Dr. English will provide you with a full list of recovery instructions and recommended foods after your treatment at RI Oral Surgery & Implant Center.

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