A bone graft can be applied to single missing tooth sockets, sinus cavities, and larger areas that contain several missing teeth. The bone graft material can be obtained from a variety of sources, including
Autogenous bone grafts that are harvested directly from the patient’s body and affords the most predictable outcome following surgery
Allograft bone grafts that are harvested from a cadaver
Xenografts that are harvested from a cow bone
Bone Morphogenetic Protein, BMP, a synthetic bone compound created in a lab
While utilizing your own bone is always the best option, this is not always a possibility. If the patient’s own bone can be used, it is often taken from the bone around the third molar in the upper or lower jaw, the chin, the hip, or the tibia. When the patient’s own bone cannot be used to make the graft, the surgeon will either use a mineral bone substitute or collect the bone from a tissue bank.