Bone Grafting

Bone loss in the jaw is common in people who have lost teeth, had gum disease, suffered facial trauma, or have ill-fitting dentures. Even with just a single missing tooth, 40-60% of the supporting bone structure can be lost in the first year, which can make it very difficult to place a dental implant that will last.

But today, thanks to advanced bone grafting techniques, we have the ability to grow bone where you need it. This gives us the opportunity to build a strong foundation on which successful implants can be placed to help restore a fully functional, beautiful smile.

There are several bone graft options, which will be determined during your treatment planning with your doctor.

• Autogenous Bone Graft - Also called autografts, these types of grafts are made from the patient's own bone, removed from another part of the body. The most common area is the hip.
• Allogeneic bone - Bone from a human tissue donor obtained from a bone bank (cadaver bone).
• Xenogenic - Similar to allogeneic bone, but derived from another species, usually a cow.
• Alloplast - Synthetic or artificial bone. An example is INFUSE® Bone Graft - which contains a synthetic version of Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) which are naturally produced in the body to regulate bone formation and healing.
• Many patients prefer these grafting options because they eliminate the harvesting procedure of the autogenous bone graft. However, with these procedures bone regeneration may take longer and the outcome may be less predictable.

Common Bone Grafting Procedures

• Ridge Preservations - Replacing bone in the empty space or socket created after a tooth is extracted.
• Sinus Lift - Replacing bone lost in the upper jaw/sinus floor to accommodate a dental implant.
• Guided Tissue/Bone Regeneration - Special membranes are placed under the gum to protect a bone graft and encourage bone regeneration.
• Platelet Rich Plasma - Using platelets from your own blood to promote faster and more efficient healing.

Most bone grafting procedures are fairly simple and are usually performed under sedation in our office. However, major bone grafts are sometimes performed to repair defects of the jaws resulting from traumatic injuries, tumor surgery, or congenital defects. Large defects are often repaired using anautogenous bone graft. These procedures are routinely performed in an operating room and may require a hospital stay.