Bone Grafting is a surgical dental procedure done for patients in Jupiter, Florida. This procedure replaces missing or lacking bone in the jaw. The most common indication for bone grafting is when it is required in dental implantation. The area for implantation may not have sufficient bone to support a functional and stable implant. In these cases, bone is grafted in that area to provide structural support and integrity. Other less common situations that may require bone grafting include bone loss due to fractures, trauma, infection that can occur in periodontal disease and impaired healing.
The bone normally regenerates by itself. Osteoblasts are bone cells located near the edge of growing bones. They are the cells responsible for producing bone regeneration. These cells require a scaffolding to deposit the new bone. In cases where there is a large area devoid of structures for the osteoblasts to deposit bone, grafting is done.
There are multiple sources for the bone graft. Autologous sources come from the patient’s own bones. The mandibular symphysis or chin area is the most common autologous source for dental and oral bone grafting. It provides the advantage of being easily accessible. It can easily be done even in a clinical and out-patient setting. It can be done at the same time as the dental implantation. It reduces the number of operative sites, time, cost and discomfort. Other autologous bone sources include the anterior mandibular ramus or coronoid process, the iliac crest, mandible, other parts of the skull, fibula and the ribs.
Other sources for bone grafts also include allografts, xenografts, and synthetic materials. Allografts come from human donors other than the patient. Most of these come from bone banks. Dentin graft is a graft made from the dentin material of extracted teeth. Xenografts come from non-human sources. Coral which contains calcium compounds can be made into bone grafts and are classified as xenografts. Synthetic grafts contain bone-compatible substances like hydroxylapatite, ceramics, bioglass and calcium compounds. They are synthesized to have a similar structural capacity as the bone they replace.
Bone grafts are reabsorbed over time and replaced with new bone. In Jupiter, Florida, the procedure of bone grafting itself may vary. The recovery period can be as short as 2 weeks or may last longer depending on the extent of the procedure performed. Large areas of bone loss may require an earlier grafting procedure followed by later dental implantation. Smaller areas of bone loss can allow bone grafting with dental implantation done at the same time.