Bone Grafting
A bone graft is a surgical procedure that replaces missing bone, with material from the patient's own body (autogenous bone) or an artificial, synthetic, or natural substitute. The graft helps your body to regrow its own lost bone. This new bone growth strengthens the grafted area by forming a bridge between your existing bone, and the graft material. Over time, your own newly formed bone will replace much of the grafted material.
Bone grafts are needed when your body's own bone is missing due to:
- defects which occur following tooth extraction;
- generalized decrease in quantity of jawbone from trauma or long-term tooth loss;
- defects surrounding dental implants; and
- defects resulting from cysts or tumor surgery.
This missing portion of bone is frequently called a "bony defect.” Bone grafts also are often required to widen the jawbone for placement of a dental implant.
Particulate grafts: For smaller defects, particles of bone can be used to fill the defect (see advanced extraction therapy ).
Block Grafts: Larger defects may require more bone to replace the defect. Often a block of bone is taken from another area of the jaw, and placed into the defect with small screws. With time, the bone will grow together, usually giving enough bone to support or place a dental implant.
Sinus Grafts: Large sinuses in the upper jaw often leave little bone for dental implant placement. Creating a small opening into the sinus, elevating the sinus membrane from the floor of the sinus, and placing particulate (granules) of bone graft material onto the sinus floor, will usually create plenty of bone, in which to place dental implants. This procedure has become routine and is usually performed in the oral surgery office. |
