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Bone Grafting

Bone Grafting

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Why is Bone Grafting Needed? Adequate bone volume is essential for implant success. Bone loss often occurs due to tooth extraction, gum disease, trauma, long-term denture wear, or natural defects.

  • Sinus Pneumatisation: In the upper jaw, sinuses may expand after tooth loss. A Sinus Lift gently raises the sinus membrane to create space for grafting, restoring necessary bone height.

Types of Bone Grafts Your surgeon will recommend the best option for you:

  • Autografts: Bone taken from your own body (e.g., hip or shin). While effective, this requires a second surgical site.

  • Off-the-shelf Materials (Allografts, Xenografts, Alloplasts): Derived from donor, animal, or synthetic sources. These are standard in modern procedures as they avoid a second surgical site, leading to quicker recovery and reduced discomfort.

What to expect with Bone Grafting

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The Procedure Standard care involves General Anaesthetic to ensure a comfortable experience and faster recovery.

  • Technique: An incision is made to expose the bone.

    • Standard Grafts: Material is shaped and placed directly.

    • Autografts: Bone is harvested from a second site (e.g., hip or shin) before placement.

    • Sinus Lifts: The sinus membrane is gently lifted to create space for the graft.

Recovery

  • Immediate: You will be monitored in recovery. Expect some swelling and bruising, which is managed with prescribed medication.

  • Healing: Avoid strenuous activity. The graft takes several months to fuse with your bone to create a stable foundation.

Sinus Precautions (If applicable) If you had a sinus lift, you must minimise sinus pressure to ensure healing:

  • Do not blow your nose. Sneeze or cough with your mouth open.

  • Avoid straws, smoking, and air travel until advised.

  • Use prescribed nasal sprays or decongestants as directed.

Follow-up Regular appointments are essential to monitor healing and determine when you are ready for implant placement.

Risks

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Bone grafting and sinus lifts are generally safe, particularly when performed under General Anaesthetic.

General Risks

  • Common: Swelling, bruising, and bleeding.

  • Rare: Infection, graft failure (failure to integrate), or numbness/tingling near the surgical site.

  • Sinus Lifts: Membrane perforation or sinusitis.

Autologous Graft Risks (Donor Site) If bone is harvested from your own body (e.g., jaw, hip, shin), additional risks apply to the donor site:

  • Pain, infection, and scarring.

  • Mandible (Jaw): Risk of fracture or nerve injury causing numbness in the lip, chin, or tongue.

  • Hip/Tibia: Potential numbness around the site or rare bone fracture.

Minimising Risk Your surgeon employs strict sterile techniques and planning to minimise complications. Please contact us immediately if you experience excessive bleeding, severe pain not relieved by medication, fever, or worsening numbness.

Fees

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Fees & Settings

  • In-Clinic (Local Anaesthetic): Suitable for simple procedures. No hospital or anaesthetic fees apply.

  • Hospital (General Anaesthetic): Required for complex grafts and sinus lifts. Involves Surgical, Anaesthetic, and Hospital fees.

Insurance & Coverage Bone grafting is considered a medical procedure.

  • Eligible For: Rebates via Medicare and Private Health "Hospital Cover".

  • Not Eligible: "Extras" cover typically does not apply.

Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Codes

  • 45841: Ridge augmentation/Bone grafting.

  • 48248: Harvesting graft from another site.

  • 45849: Maxillary sinus augmentation (Sinus Lift).

Next Steps You will likely have out-of-pocket expenses. Please contact Medicare and your insurer with the codes above to confirm your specific coverage.