Synthetic Osseous Grafting: A Necessary Component to Oral Reconstruction

Abstract

size and shape of the residual alveolar ridge (4,5). Dental bone grafts (BGs) play an important In addition, the loss of alveolar bone, because role in situations in which structural or functional of periodontal disease or secondary to surgery, is support, or both, is necessary. BGs are used to a source of numerous complications, including provide a scaffold for bone regeneration: promotloss of the periodontal attachment, impaired restoing union of osteotomies and fractures; augmentration of the periodontium, and poor patient aesing bony defects caused by trauma or surgery; thetics (4,5). Thus, a primary goal of treatment is restoring bone loss caused by dental disease; fillrepair and regeneration of the entire periodontal ing extraction sites to preserve the height and attachment complex which consists of cementum, width of the alveolar ridge (ridge preservation); periodontal ligament (PDL), and alveolar bone and augmenting and reconstructing the alveolar (6). ridge (1,2). In addition to alveolar ridge preservaClinically, different substitute BGs have been tion and augmentation and repair of bony defects, utilized for ridge preservation postextraction; grafting is being performed to improve the outridge augmentation; in periodontal bony defects; come of implant dentistry through sinus lift proceand in conjunction with the placement of dental dures of the maxillary sinus and to fill bony voids implants (7–9). The literature is replete with suc(e.g., in the immediate postextraction implant) and cessful applications of BGs, both with or without the osteotomy created during traditional implant membrane barriers. There is increasing evidence surgery (3). that most synthetic BG substitutes do not require Successful rehabilitation of a dental arch, with the utilization of a membrane (10). fixed prosthetic replacement of lost teeth, depends