Bone graft material is utilized to add support around teeth or to create a foundation for a dental implant. A periodontist receives extra training to understand the proper placement of grafts in the jaw bone. These grafts may be placed around teeth, in missing tooth sites, or even into the sinus.
Source and sterility of bone grafts
Bone grafts come in many varieties. They may be obtained from either human, animal or synthetic sources. Grafts are processed in tissue banking facilities that follow strict standards set forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Donors are selected with stringent criteria to rule out disease and infection. Once harvested, bone grafts undergo sterilization and removal of all cells. The final product is a calcium phosphate particulate that has no risk of disease transmission from the donor. Bone grafts are the standard of care in both dentistry and medicine.
Healing of bone grafts
When used to treat periodontal disease or regrow jaw bone, the graft is placed into the donor site and stabilized. Other agents such as growth factors, membranes, tacks or pins may be used to improve results. During healing, your body replaces the graft with your own bone cells, leaving minimal to no residual product behind. When completely healed, the graft will be indistinguishable from your own jawbone on a dental radiograph.
