Dental Bone Graft

Accidents can happen at any moment; but all of these usually have a solution. Advances in the medical field have made complicated surgeries simple; imagine that during an accident you suffer a severe bone fracture in your jaw.

As soon as possible you head to your doctor’s office and he takes a few x-rays and after a deep analysis of them; your doctor suggest that the best solution is: bone graft.

This is the first time you hear of this surgery and ask your doctor if he can explain to you the procedure.

Bone Grafts

Bone Graft is a surgical procedure used by doctors, to correct problems associated with bones or joints. Doctors will use this procedure to repair bones after trauma, problem joints, or growing bone around implanted devices; for example dental implants or knee replacements (TKR).

The bone graft used in these procedures can come from you own body, a donor or it can be artificially made. Once the implant is accepted by the patient, the bone graft provides a structure where bone can once again grow. Bone graft can come in a variety of forms, the 5 most common bone graft surgeries are:

Autograft

• Autograft or Autologous is a surgery in which bone is obtained from the same person who will receive the graft. Bone is harvested from non-essential bones; in the case of oral and maxillofacial surgeries, bones are obtained from the mandibular symphysis (chin) and in other cases the anterior mandibular ramus.
• Donating bone areas include: the iliac crest, the fibula, the ribs, the mandible and parts of the skull.

Dentin Graft

• Dentin graft consists of 85% of tooth structure, the enamel and other minerals in teeth are used to assist with the bone natural regrowth.
• Once grafted dentin will release different chemicals; with these will stimulate growth, this technique is called osteoclasts.

Allografts

• Allograft is similar to an autograft; however the difference is that the bone is donated from a dead body (cadaver).
• When a person passes away he can donate some of his remains to a bone bank.

Synthetic Variants

• When natural bone is not available, doctors could offer you artificial bone. This artificial bone can be created from ceramics, for example: bioglass, calcium phosphates and calcium sulphate. Your dentist can explain to you the products they use and how the presence of certain elements helps with bone re-mineralization and enhance osteoblast.

Xenografts

• Xenograft is the transplantation of bone, living cells, tissues and other organs from one species to another. These are usually from an animal and in recent advances doctor have manipulated and began to use wood.

Oral Procedure: Bone Grafts

Step 1

An initial step when performing oral bone graft, can involve the extraction of a damage tooth. Your dentist will numb the affected area(s) and afterwards used pillars to pull the tooth out. In most cases tooth extraction is quick and straightforward; the extraction comes in two forms: simple extractions or surgical extractions.

Step 2

Once the tooth has been removed the area is treated and cleaned. Prior to the graft surgery your dentist will ask for your medical history and perform a physical examination. After anesthesia, your surgeon will make a small incision in the skin surrounding the area, where the graft will be performed.

Step 3

After the incision has been made, your dentist will shape the donated bone to fit the area. In the case of dental graft, the cleaned socket is filled with bone graft material.
Socket Preservation – A dental procedure that is indispensable in the prevention of bone loss, in patients’ oral cavity.

Step 4

Once bone graft material has filled the socket, the dentist might place a membrane or collagen tape to contain the graft material. Dentist will determine if this step is needed in each patient case. The membrane  is place around the operated area and serves to enhance the formation of new bone and to prevent the risk of infection in the grafted area (not require in all cases).

Step 5

Once the bone graft in securely place; your dental surgeon will closed the wounded area, through stiches. The stiches are visible from 2~3 weeks, the average healing time; afterwards the stiches could be reabsorb or remove through another procedure.

Once the procedure is finish your dentist might offer you specific instructions and offer you medication to prevent inflammation and infections.

Sani Dental Group wants you to know and understand all the dental procedures we offer you; we understand the fear our patients have when they have to have a surgery. There is no reason to fear oral procedures; our dental clinic has professionals whom are willing to save your teeth, prevent diseases and offer you several dental tips.

We invite you to read this post and other post associated with the dental procedures we offer. In addition to our post, we offer you a monthly Newsletter, we invite you, your family and friends to subscribe to our Newsletter, were we offer our readers exclusive information.

The steps and procedures mentioned in this post are procedures available in the medical field; however, not all these treatments and procedures are perform at Sani Dental Group. To confirm if this procedure is perform at our dental clinics, please contact us directly.