Bone grafting
| My dentist says I need a bone graft before he can place an implant. Why is this?
When a tooth is lost, and the socket allowed to heal, the bone that normally supports the tooth is lost in a process known as resorption, or alveolar resorption. Biologically, the bone is there to support the tooth, once the tooth is lost, there is no reason for there to be supporting bone, hence resorption. If enough resorption occurs, there is very little bone available to place an implant, hence you may need a bone graft. Types of bone grafts Autogenous – this is a graft made of bone harvested from a donor site in your mouth – sometimes the bone in the chin is used. Allograft – this a graft made of human bone harvested from a donor. Xenograft – this is a graft made of porcine or bovine bone (pig or cow). What sort of graft do you use? We tend to use xenografts for smaller graft areas, using a particulate grafting agent called BioOss (bovine xenograft); for larger areas we use an allograft called PurOss (human bone). These grafts are thoroughly sterilised and ALL organic matter is removed leaving only the crystaline, bony matrix. Can I catch diseases from grafts? No, the grafts are thoroughly sterilsed AND have all organic material removed, you cannot catch any diseases present in the donor. A procedure known as a Tutoplast process deactivates, destroys and removes all unwanted material, such as fats, cells, viruses and microbes, producing pure bone and only bone – plus selected minerals. How long after the graft do I have to wait before I can have my implant? Anywhere from 3- 6 months depending on the type of bone that is being grafted to, the size of the graft and how well the graft intergrates into your bone. Grafts can sometimes fail, requiring re-grafting. |
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