Bone Grafting
Bone loss can occur on the upper and lower jaw due to trauma, infection, periodontal disease, or due to remodeling of bone after extraction of teeth. When a patient is evaluated for replacing missing teeth with dental implants, one of the most important determining factors is the need for adequate bone to house the dental implant. When there is inadequate bone for implant placement, a bone grafting procedure can be used in an attempt to grow bone at the deficient site.
There are many types of bone grafting materials that are currently used. The most common types of graft materials for implant sites are: autogenous bone (patient's own bone from sites such as the oral cavity or hip), allograft bone (sterilized bone taken from a tissue bank), or xenograft bone (sterilized bone from animals). In some cases, bone grafting procedures may need to be done prior to placement of implants and allowed to heal for a period of 4-6 months. In other circumstances, grafting procedures may be completed at the same time as implant placement.
