Risks of jawbone reconstruction | Jawbone reconstruction

Risks of jawbone reconstruction

In most cases a jawbone augmentation is tolerated by the patients without problems. Risks are rather rare with this type of surgery and can usually be treated without complications when they occur. However, as with any surgical procedure, the dentist cannot guarantee that the jawbone augmentation is absolutely risk-free.

Risks in the medical sense are divided into two groups. They are called general risks (risks that exist equally in every operation) and special risks (risks that are specifically justified by the type of surgical intervention). The general risks also include infections, bleeding and wound healing disorders during jawbone reconstruction.

In general, these problems occur comparatively rarely and, if they do occur, can be successfully treated by using an antibiotic or applying local coagulants. A special risk of bone formation in the upper jaw can be an opening of the maxillary sinus. This can also be treated by antibiotic therapy without reducing the probability of healing or reducing the acceptance of the bone material by the organism.

Jaw bone augmentation in the lower jaw involves various risks, such as injury to the great mandibular nerve (nervus mandibularis). The lingual nerve (nervus lingualis) is also potentially at risk during jawbone augmentation. Temporary loss of sensitivity in the area supplied by these nerves is often the result.

Permanent numbness or permanent loss of tongue mobility is rare. Depending on the material selected (especially if foreign material is used), allergic reactions or rejection reactions may occur in the course of jawbone reconstruction. In very rare cases, cysts form in the area of the inserted bone.It should also be noted that the operation is usually performed under local anesthesia, and for this reason allergic reactions to this local anesthetic are possible.

Duration of a jaw reconstructionDuration of healing

Surgical procedures to reconstruct the jaw level can be a lengthy therapy process. The purpose of this procedure is either to create a sufficient bone supply for a subsequent implantation or, for example, a prosthesis bearing for a total prosthesis. The duration of the jaw reconstruction depends on the complexity of the intervention.

Bone augmentation using bone chips, which should produce a bone augmentation of 2 – 3 mm, takes much less time than a reconstruction with an iliac crest transplant, which is a major surgical procedure. The complexity is also decisive for the healing time. The healing time for minor procedures is about 6 months, but it can be up to 12 months for major grafts.

The patient’s general medical history plays a major role in this. If healing is good and the immune system is intact, the risk of infection or rejection of the implant is low. If the transplant is infected by bacteria or viruses, the healing time can be greatly prolonged or a new operation may be necessary because the transplant is not accepted by the body or directly atrophies again. The atrophy, the breakdown of the new bone, is always a complication that occurs less frequently in good general health.