Alveolar bone graft Skull bone donor site Bone graft to gum line (1337)

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Skull bone donor site (Bone graft to gum line)

What is an alveolar bone graft?

An alveolar bone graft is an operation for a child who was born with both a cleft lip and a cleft palate. The graft is done to place bone to the upper jaw bone (alveolus) in the area of the cleft. This will help let the permanent teeth to come through the alveolus (erupt). It also helps to close the hole between your child’s mouth and nose.

How is it done?

A small amount of bone shavings are taken from your child’s head. The shavings are placed in the area of the cleft near the teeth. This will help support teeth coming in near the cleft.

The surgery takes about 2 to 3 hours. There will be an incision on the head which will be closed with staples. There will be stitches in the gums where the bone has been placed. The stitches will go away on their own within a few weeks.

What happens after the surgery?

After surgery, your child:

Diet:

Activity:

Follow up:

Your child will need an appointment in the clinic 5 to 10 days after surgery.

ALERT

Call your child’s doctor, nurse, or clinic if you have any questions or concerns or if your child:

  • Has severe pain that does not go away.
  • Has a lot of bleeding from the nose or mouth.
  • Has vomiting that will not stop.
  • Has a fever above 101 F (38.3 C).
  • Is not drinking enough fluids.
  • Has a foul mouth odor.
  • Spits out small bone chips.
  • Has bone chips you can see in the area where the surgery was done.
  • Has special health care needs that were not covered by this information.