FAQs About Bone Grafts

I heard you put bone grafts around teeth to regenerate new bone tissue. Does that work and is it safe?

The bone grafting techniques used today can be very successful in helping you maintain your teeth. We use both synthetic and human bone grafting materials to stimulate new bone growth. The amount of new bone growth will depend on the location and type of defect or pattern of bone loss. The human bone graft material is demineralized and sterilized at the tissue bank, so there is no risk of transmission of disease. Because it is not a living tissue and there is no transfer of DNA (genetic information), it is safe to use. Your bone cells migrate to the graft material (scaffolding) and the defect is actually repaired with the patient’s own bone. The graft greatly facilitates new bone growth.