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Bone Grafting

If you have suffered from a tooth trauma, tooth loss or periodontal gum disease, then you are likely familiar with the negative effects of bone loss. Bone grafting procedures are done to restore the bone to as close to its previous form as possible. Maintaining adequate bone structure is important to maintaining face shape and the positioning of teeth, along with many other oral health concerns.

Maintaining and restoring facial bone structure is also very important when used in conjunction with other periodontal procedures, like dental implants. The installation of a dental implant requires that the bone of the jaw be as close to its original size and position as possible to produce optimal results.

The bones of the face help to support the muscle and skin of the face and neck, without them disfigurement is almost guaranteed. That being said, if you are dealing with bone loss, it is critical that you consider treatment options like bone grafting to restore the appearance and function of your face and mouth.

What Is Bone Grafting?

Bone grafting is a surgical procedure that is used to repair or restore complications with bones or joints. The process itself involves transplanting bone from one site to another. Typically, bone grafting is used to restore the appearance and functionality of bones or joints that have been damaged due to a trauma. However, bone grafting is also used in periodontics for procedures such as installing dental implants. In situations where live bone is needed to grow and reestablish itself (think dental implants and spinal fusion surgery) bone grafting can be a very effective treatment option.

Bone grafting surgery is also used in areas where bone is absent or has been lost due to conditions such as periodontal gum disease, or filling in a gap where a tooth has been missing for a long period of time. Bone that is used for grafting can come from a site on the patient’s body like the hips, ribs or legs and it can also come from an outside source like a deceased donor.

There are two common types of bone grafting:
•  Allograft - Allografting refers to the surgical procedure where bone is sourced from some other means besides the patient's own body for fusion.
•  Autograft - Autografting refers to the surgical procedure where bone is sourced from another site on the patient's body.

What type of bone grafting procedure your periodontist uses will depend largely on the reason for grafting. Is he repairing a bone due to damage caused by a trauma, or is he restored the depth of the bone for a surgical periodontal procedure like the instillation of dental implants? The purpose of the procedure will determine the technique used.

Why Use Bone Grafting?

Bone grafting is used for a variety of reasons. Some of the most common reasons are:
•  Fractures - Bone grafting may be used in circumstances where bone did not heal properly after being fractured.
•  Fusion - Fusion surgery is done to fuse two bones together. Bone grafting offers excess bone needed to fuse together the bone or joint.
•  Implantation - Bone grafting is used when installing dental implants.
•  Regeneration - Bone grafting is used to regenerate a location of bone lost to disease, infection or injury.

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