A dental bone graft is a surgical procedure that involves rebuilding or strengthening the jawbone, most often to allow for the later placement of a dental implant. Bone grafting is commonly done for dental purposes, especially to support teeth or dental implants. It is an increasingly popular method in modern dentistry, especially in situations where the patient lost a tooth a long time ago and the bone in the place of the missing tooth has atrophied.
Bone loss – the main reason for a graft
After a tooth is lost, the bone surrounding it is no longer stimulated and gradually resorbs over time. This process can begin as early as a few weeks after extraction and continue for months or even years. As a result, the bone may become too thin or too low to support the implant. Without an adequate amount of healthy bone, the implant cannot be stably placed, which increases the risk of treatment failure.
What is a bone graft?
A bone graft involves adding bone material to a place where the bone has atrophied. It can come from various sources:
- Autograft – a graft from the patient's own bone (e.g. from the chin, jaw, hip),
- Allograft – bone from another person (usually from a tissue bank),
- Xenograft – material of animal origin, most often bovine,
- Alloplast – synthetic bone substitute materials.
Tooth transplantation is also becoming increasingly popular – it is a relatively new technique in which the patient's own ground tooth (usually removed due to caries or orthodontically) is used, which after appropriate cleaning and sterilization serves as a graft material. A natural tooth contains many components that support bone regeneration, such as collagen, morphogenetic proteins and minerals, which make it a biocompatible and effective material.
When is bone grafting used?
A bone graft may be necessary in the following cases:
- before implantation of a dental implant, when the bone is too thin or has disappeared,
- after tooth extraction – as a preventive measure against bone loss (so-called conservative grafting),
- in the treatment of periodontal disease, when bone loss has occurred around the roots of the teeth,
- in the case of craniofacial injuries or developmental defects.
Advantages of bone grafting from a tooth
Using your own tooth as a graft material has many advantages:
- full biocompatibility – no risk of rejection,
- accelerated bone regeneration,
- reduced risk of infection,
- no need to collect material from other parts of the body,
- lower costs compared to some synthetic or bank materials.
Bone grafting in dentistry is an important stage of treatment that rebuilds the bite and prepares for implantation. Without the right amount of bone, the implant cannot be properly placed. Thanks to modern methods, such as tooth transplantation, dentists now have at their disposal effective and safe tissue regeneration tools, which significantly improve patients' prognosis and allow them to regain the full function and aesthetics of their teeth. We are trusted professionals for bone grafting and all your dental needs. Please reach out to us today to schedule an appointment!