When you have a patient who needs bone grafting, it can be difficult to talk about. It might be scary to hear that they need manufactured bone in their body, but it’s an important innovation. There are several situations where it’s needed. Let’s go more in-depth, now.
When someone needs bone grafting, it usually means one of the following things has happened. The patient has fractured bones that aren’t healing right. They have a damaged joint and there are two bones that need to be fused to be able to heal across it. The patient has a disease or injury and there needs to be bone regeneration; this also happens in some cases with dental implants since the patient needs to have a certain amount of bone mass in the jaw to allow it to fuse with a titanium screw that will act as the new root. Finally, patients who have had procedures like joint replacements can use grafts to heal the bones. By breaking down the basics for your patient, it might make it easier for them to digest the procedure.
Make sure to go over all the risks and ask about their concerns. While bone grafting is safe and is considered routine, you don’t want to overlook a patient’s fears. Fortunately, any potential infections are easily treated with antibiotics. There’s always the chance that the graft might not take or get the results that were needed. For example, with the jawbone, if it still doesn’t have enough mass, then it can’t support the screw for the dental implant, so another solution might be needed. Be open and honest with your answers, but don’t volunteer more information than they need.
Don’t forget to mention recovery, which is typically a simple process. Rest is the best thing, and they can expect to wait between a few weeks to a couple of months depending on how complex the graft was. Recommend that they should wait longer to do any extreme exercise and avoid smoking, as that can slow the healing process down.
We provide bone grafting solutions that you and your patients can trust. It’s always our aim to be an innovator and ahead of the field. Please contact us at SurGenTec today for more information.