Major Bone Grafting
Thomas P. Murphy, DDS, is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who diagnoses and treats patients at Westlake Oral Surgery and Implant Center in Westlake, Ohio. As an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, he specializes in surgery of the face, teeth, mouth, and jaws to treat conditions, defects, injuries, and esthetic aspects. Dr.... more
Bone grafting gives dental patients the opportunity to not only replace bone where it's missing but also have the ability to promote new bone growth in that location. This allows your dentist to restore functionality and aesthetic appearance. Bone grafting can repair implant sites with inadequate bone structure due to previous extractions, gum disease, or injuries.
The bone is either sourced from a tissue bank or your own bone is taken from the jaw, hip, or tibia. Sinus bone grafts are also performed to replace bone in the posterior upper jaw. Special membranes may also be used that dissolve under the gum to protect the bone graft, as well as encourage bone regeneration. This is called guided bone regeneration, or guided tissue regeneration.
Major bone grafts are performed to repair defects of the jaws. These defects may develop as a result of traumatic injuries, tumor surgery, or congenital defects. Large defects are repaired using the patient’s own bone. These procedures are routinely performed in an operating room and require a hospital stay.
