Bone Up On Your Knowledge Of Grafts

Bone grafts play an important role in a variety of dental and medical procedures carried out by oral/maxillofacial surgeons (OMS). Those procedures include pulling teeth, preparing dental implants, and surgeries on the jaw, face and mouth. Grafts can directly replace absent bone or give a platform on which the patient’s bone can grow.

If you need treatment for any type of oral surgery, talk to the experts at the office of Miramar Beach Facial & Oral Surgery. We consider each patient to be unique in his/her wants, needs and preferences. We’ll evaluate your case, answer all of your questions, and discuss and explain any of your concerns. Our goal is to offer a clear picture of all your options and deliver the results you expect. 

Some grafts are harvested from the patient or a human or animal donor, while others are made from artificial materials. An OMS will explain your options based on your situation. Knowing the basics of “bone graft lingo” is helpful when discussing your case with an OMS.

Alloplastic/allograft: tissues from humans. All contributions are vetted for diseases. Their bones are treated with chemicals and/or radiation to greatly diminish the chances of disease transmission from the donors.

Autogenous/autograft: The donor is the patient himself, and the tissue is transferred from a healthy part of his body to the surgical site. The plusses: The tissue is free, and there’s no worry about disease transmission. The minus: You have a second surgical site (the excavated bone’s origin). 

Synthetics: They’re made by humans and designed to mirror our tissue. Their mission is to stimulate tissue development and restoration. The plusses: They cost less than donated tissues; no worries about disease transmission. The minus: The possibility of less predictable advancement of tissues around and into their artificial ingredients.

Xenoplastic/xenograft: The grafts are from animals. Their bones are treated with chemicals and/or radiation to greatly diminish the chances of disease transmission from the animals.

Miramar Beach Facial & Oral Surgery is committed to our patients’ health by delivering the highest quality skilled and compassionate oral and maxillofacial surgery. For more information about our office and our many services, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. We look forward to taking care of all your needs.