A dental bone graft adds volume and density to the jaw in areas of bone loss. A dental bone graft is usually done if someone has lost one or more adult teeth or has gum disease. Both of these conditions can cause bone loss in the jaw.
The graft may be taken from the body of the patient or may be purchased from the human tissue bank. The preferred approach for dental bone grafting is to use your own bone from the hip, tibia, or back of the jaw. This is known as an autograft. The bone may also come from an animal. A synthetic graft material can also be used.
When the dental bone graft is placed, it becomes the scaffold by which the bone tissue (of the patient) can alreasdy grow.
Types of Bone Graft:
Autografts - This involves bone from your own body, such as from your hip or jaw.
Allografts - This graft uses bone from a different person, usually a cadaver.
Xenografts - This involves bone from another species, such as a cow, pig, or coral.
Alloplasts - This deals with synthetic material, such as calcium phosphate or calcium sodium phosphosilicate (Bioglass).