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Bone Grafting · Specialist periodontal care

Dental bone grafting in Sydney

Where there is not enough bone for a dental implant or bridge, bone can be added to the jaw so that it can support treatment.

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Bone grafting for dental implants
Registered Specialist

Periodontics — Dental Board of Australia (AHPRA) · Clinical Professor, University of Sydney

Why a graft may be needed

Sometimes there is not enough bone for a dental implant or bridge, and additional bone has to be added to your jaw. Tooth loss through gum disease, injury, decay or infection increases the loss of bone over time. Bone grafting allows a dental implant procedure to take place.

During the procedure, a small incision is made in the gum to expose the bone beneath it, and the graft is added. Bone for this procedure can come from your own body, from a donated source, or be made from a synthetic substance. Over time the graft is absorbed by your body and replaced by your own bone.

All these specialist procedures are performed using magnifying loupes or microscopy with additional surgical lights, and miniaturised surgical instruments.

Microsurgical technique used for grafting

Autograft

Bone is taken from a site in your own body and moved to the recipient site. This means two surgical sites: one where the bone is harvested and one where it is placed.

Allograft

Laboratory-processed human bone from a deceased donor, supplied by a tissue bank.

Xenograft

Grafting material from an animal source, usually bovine. The material goes through a series of pharmaceutical treatments in preparation before it reaches the surgical table.

Alloplast

Synthetic, man-made materials. These come in a variety of forms including powder, granules, putty and gel that can be injected through a syringe.

Microsurgical technique used for grafting

Every material has advantages and disadvantages. Your consultation is where the choice of treatment and of material is discussed.

Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Individual results vary and suitability depends on an individual clinical assessment. Before proceeding with a surgical or invasive procedure, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

Good to know

Bone Grafting — frequently asked questions

Is the procedure painful?
While the procedure takes place you will be under local anaesthetic, and possibly sedation or happy gas, which often provides relief from both pain and anxiety. After the surgery, mild discomfort is controlled with conventional pain medication.
Can a bone graft fail?
Most bone grafts in the jaw heal well, but no graft is guaranteed and individual results vary. Healing depends on the size of the graft, the condition of the site, your general health and whether you smoke. A graft can fail to integrate and occasionally needs to be repeated. Graft material is not rejected the way an organ transplant can be, because it acts as a scaffold that your own bone grows into. Prof Quaranta will assess your case and explain what is realistic for you.
How long does the procedure take?
Most bone grafting procedures take somewhere between 60 and 120 minutes.
How long is recovery following surgery?
Full recovery takes about two weeks, and time off work is usually a couple of days up to a week. It is not a procedure that leaves you bed-bound. Having said that, Prof Q is often happy to throw in a medical certificate that spares you from helping your partner with the dishes for a while.
How long until the bone regrows?
In most cases, solid bone mass begins to appear somewhere between three and six months after the graft.
What types of bone graft are available?
Grafts may use your own bone, donor or tissue-substitute materials, or synthetic substitutes, sometimes combined with growth-promoting techniques. Prof Quaranta selects the approach with the best available evidence for your situation.
Prof Alex Quaranta in consultation

Specialist clinical expertise

Based on research and clinical experience

Prof Quaranta is a Clinical Professor of Periodontics at the University of Sydney and has published more than 200 research outputs, over 120 of them peer-reviewed. He lectures on periodontics and implant dentistry to universities, scientific societies and study clubs in Australia and overseas.

Research, publications and speaking

Professor Alex Quaranta, specialist periodontist
Prof Alessandro (Alex) QuarantaSpecialist Periodontist · Clinical Professor, University of Sydney · PhD, MRACDS, FRACDS

This information is provided by Prof Alessandro (Alex) Quaranta, an AHPRA-registered Specialist Periodontist, Clinical Professor of Periodontics and author of more than 200 scientific publications. Read his full profile.

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