Dental Implant Bone Grafting

While considering a dental implant for a patient, dentist has to check whether the patient's jawbone can support the new implanted tooth properly. A reduction in the volume of the jawbone is possible due to many factors like, gum disease, injury, infection. If the patient had lost the tooth long back and now wants a dental implant, it is possible that the bone has eroded with time and is incapable of supporting an implanted tooth. The reduced volume of the jawbone may make the dental implant unsuccessful. Thus, it is necessary to check if bone grafting is needed, before the actual dental implant.

What is Dental Implant Bone Grafting?
As discussed earlier, bone grafting is a technique for increasing the volume of the missing or eroded bone. In dental implant, a new tooth is set in patient's jaw. The proper volume of supporting bone is a necessity for successful dental implant. A dental implant may go unsuccessful if the dentist discovers that the supporting bone is reduced in the middle of the implant surgery. So, the first step before starting the procedure of an dental implant, is to check the volume of the supporting jawbone and to perform a bone grafting, if the jawbone is missing/ reduced. Dental implant bone grafting in simple words is harvesting a jawbone that will help in supporting the implanted tooth. The source of the bone used, decides the type of bone grafting. Let us have a look at the various dental implant bone grafting types.

Autogenous Bone Grafting
Autogenous bone grafting uses the bone taken from the patient's body. It gives the best result amongst all types of dental implant bone grafting, as the bone used is natural and has cells that will grow easily. The bones present in the chin or in the rear part of the jaw are used in autogenous bone grafting. In rare cases, the bone is taken from a part, other than the patient's mouth, like the hip bone. When part of the hip bone is used for harvesting, the patient needs to be hospitalized. The patient is anesthetized and the physician removes the part of hip bone by surgery. Using this bone, the dentist will create a platform at the site of dental implant.

Allograft Bone Grafting
Allograft bone grafting uses a cadaver bone or synthetic bone. The use of cadaver bone may sound weird, but this type of bone grafting is legal and is common. There are bone banks that provide these cadaver bones for bone grafting. The cadaver bones are not directly used for bone grafting. They have to be sterilized and tests are performed so that they will suit the patient's body. Use of synthetic materials for bone formation, is also an effective way of bone grafting. This type of bone grafting is called as alloplastic bone grafting. The synthetic material that is used for alloplastic bone grafting is, calcium phosphate. The use of synthetic material stimulates the body to form a natural bone at the site of dental implant.

Xenograft Bone Grafting
Xenograft bone grafting uses animal bones, like a cow bone. The bones are sterilized and processed to make them compatible to the patient's body. They act as fillers, as the patient's body will gradually convert them into natural bones.

Sinus lift graft and block bone grafting are other two techniques of dental implant bone grafting. Both these methods use a different way of harvesting the bone. Once the bone grafting is done, it will take months (6 months to one year) for the grafted bone to blend with the natural bone. The dentist will monitor the bone graft at regular intervals and ensure that the healing is as expected. Once the dentist finds that the bone is completely harvested, it is now capable of supporting the implanted tooth, and dental implant can be done. Bone grafting for dental implant is a lengthy and painful, but a necessary and important procedure that will ensure a successful dental implant.