Bone grafts have been around the medical community for decades. They provide a great treatment option for a variety of issues throughout the body. In the dental health arena, bone grafts are used to treat both bone loss issues which can come up when treating periodontal disease as well as TMJ issues.
What Is A Bone Graft?
The term bone graft simply means that the tissue was taken from one site on the body and placed in another. This is usually done when one area of the body is weakened or diseased. The graft of new tissue will jumpstart healing and new tissue growth which can help the body heal itself. For oral cavity health, bone grafts are used to treat bone resorption in both the lower and upper jaw as well as the actual TMJ site.
Bone resorption is an issue because when bone mass is lost in the upper and lower jaws it can limit the type of artificial tooth solutions available. Without proper bone mass, dental implants cannot be supported properly.
TYPES OF BONE GRAFTS
TMJ pain can be debilitating, stretching along the jawbone, the ears, face, and teeth. Applying a bone graft directly to the TMJ site can restore jaw functionality and correct chewing motion. Grafts can also be used to restore lost bone mass due to periodontal disease.
Autografts are one of the most common graft types used. This type takes the bone graft tissue from the actual patient and applies it to the affected area.
The second most widely used graft is known as an allograft. This also uses harvested bone tissue but not from the patient themselves. This type of graft utilizes bone graft tissue from an approved donor. If there is no appropriate donor, then the tissue can be drawn from a tissue bank which is where tissue harvested from cadavers is stored.
For more information on the types of bone grafts that are available, we are here to help. Give us a call today to discuss more.
