Bone Grafting

Bone grafting is a surgical procedure that augments weak or deficient areas of bone in your jaws. Once the grafting is completed, usually after about 4-5 months, dental implants can be placed. This new bone has the ability to become integrated with your original bone. Bone grafts can be classified as autologous (bone harvested from the patient’s own body), allografts (human cadaveric bone usually obtained from a bone bank), a xenograft or bone obtained from another species (i.e. cow or bovine bone), or the bone may be made of synthetic or alloplastic materials. Each material has different benefits and is not suited for every patient or surgical situation. Each type of graft can be augmented with certain proteins (Bone Morphogenic Protein-BMP, Platelet Rich Plasma-PRP, or Platelet Rich Fibrin-PRF) to enhance the graft. These proteins are used to speed up the maturation of the graft or the surgical site. Dr. Arné will discuss the pros and cons of each type of graft at the time of your consultation and will assist you in making the decision that will give you the best outcome.

Because the long-term success of the implant is the goal, and in order for a dental implant to be a viable option, a bone graft may be necessary. Dr. Arné will listen to your goals as well as those of the restorative dentist and determine the most reliable way to proceed.