The Periodontal Specialists Approach to Bone Grafting

Dental Bone Graft in Toronto

In the past, when tooth extractions, gum disease or injury compromised the structure of your jawbone, you were not a candidate for dental implants. There simply wasn’t enough bone to support an implant.
Today, we have the ability to grow bone where needed. This gives us the opportunity to place implants that are the proper length and width for your jawbone and restore the functionality and appearance of your mouth.
If you live in the Toronto area and would like more information about bone grafting or to schedule a consultation appointment, call our office at Periodontal Specialists Phone Number 866-473-7464.

Minimally-invasive bone grafting procedure

We use bone grafting to repair dental implant sites with inadequate bone structure and other defects of the jaws. These defects may arise as a result of tooth extractions, traumatic injuries, tumor surgery, or congenital defects. Sinus bone grafts are also performed to replace bone in the posterior upper jaw.
Traditionally, bone grafts require bone to be harvested from the patient’s own hip, skull, knee or chin. This additional surgery can increase post-operative pain, extend the length of recovery and risk loss of sensation in the area where the bone is removed.
At The Periodontal Specialists, we use only donor bone block for our bone grafting procedures. The procedure can be done on an outpatient basis, and the use of donor bone has minimized complications and proven extremely safe and effective. After several months of healing, the bone becomes part of the patient’s jaw and is strong enough to provide a foundation for dental implants.

Types of Bone Grafts

Autogenous Bone Grafts:
Autogenous bone grafts, also known as autografts, are made from your own bone, taken from somewhere else in the body. The bone is typically harvested from the chin, jaw, lower leg bone, hip, or the skull. Autogenous bone grafts are advantageous in that the graft material is live bone, meaning it contains living cellular elements that enhance bone growth.
However, one downside to the autograft is that it requires a second procedure to harvest bone from elsewhere in the body. Depending on your condition, a second procedure may not be in your best interest.
Allogenic Bone:
Allogenic bone, or allograft, is dead bone harvested from a cadaver, then processed using a freeze-dry method to extract the water via a vacuum. Unlike autogenous bone, allogenic bone cannot produce new bone on it’s own. Rather, it serves as a framework or scaffold over which bone from the surrounding bony walls can grow to fill the defect or void.
Xenogenic Bone:
Xenogenic bone is derived from non-living bone of another species, usually a cow. The bone is processed at very high temperatures to avoid the potential for immune rejection and contamination. Like allogenic grafts, xenogenic grafts serve as a framework for bone from the surrounding area to grow and fill the void.
Both allogenic and xenogenic bone grafting are advantageous in that they do not require a second procedure to harvest your own bone, as with autografts. However, because these options lack autograft’s bone-forming properties, bone regeneration may take longer than with autografts, with a less predictable outcome.

Bone Graft Substitutes

As a substitute to using real bone, many synthetic materials are available as a safe and proven alternative, including:
Demineralized Bone Matrix (DBM)/Demineralized Freeze-Dried Bone Allograft (DFDBA):
This product is processed allograft bone, containing collagen, proteins, and growth factors that are extracted from the allograft bone. It is available in the form of powder, putty, chips, or as a gel that can be injected through a syringe.
Graft Composites:
Graft composites consist of other bone graft materials and growth factors to achieve the benefits of a variety of substances. Some combinations may include: collagen/ceramic composite, which closely resembles the composition of natural bone, DBM combined with bone marrow cells, which aid in the growth of new bone, or a collagen/ceramic/autograft composite.
Bone Morphogenetic Proteins:
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are proteins naturally produced in the body that promote and regulate bone formation and healing.
Synthetic materials also have the advantage of not requiring a second procedure to harvest bone, reducing risk and pain. Each bone grafting option has its own risks and benefits. Dr. Veisman will determine which type of bone graft material is right for you.