Understanding the 4 Types of Bone Grafting Materials

Whether you need a bone graft to prep your jaw for a dental implant or to stop bone loss due to periodontal disease, multiple materials are commonly used in the procedure, each with its own advantages.

Our expert bone grafting team at St. Tammany Periodontics & Implants offers four effective ways to shore up your bone health. Dr. Caesar Sweidan and Dr. Laura Smith can help you navigate the options, starting with our overview of autografts, allografts, xenografts, and alloplasts.

Autografts: Harnessing your body’s natural resources

Autografts are bone grafting materials taken from your own body, making them biologically harmonious with your system. Typically, bone tissue is harvested from the jaw, hip, or other areas rich in bone density.

The primary advantage of autografts is the reduced risk of rejection since the graft material is your own.

Autograft benefits include:

• High success rate
• Reduced risk of infection

However, autografts require an additional procedure to remove the bone, which may lead to increased recovery time.

Allografts: An alternative human source

Allografts come from a donor — another human being — and undergo rigorous testing and sterilization to ensure they’re safe for transplantation. 

Allografts are best for more extensive grafting procedures requiring a large quantity of bone tissue, making harvesting it from the body impractical or overly invasive.

Allograft benefits include:

• Availability — bone banks have a reliable supply
• Noninvasive — no additional procedure required
• Safe — these grafts are processed to remove cells that may trigger an immune response

Xenografts: Cross-species compatibility

Xenografts originate from a different species, usually bovines (cows) or porcine (pigs), but they are entirely safe due to diligent processing that prevents an immune response.

Xenograft benefits include:

• Avoiding a second surgical site
• Providing structure — a sturdy scaffold for new bone growth

Some patients may have ethical or religious concerns regarding the use of animal-derived materials.

Alloplasts: The synthetic solution

Alloplasts are synthetic bone grafts fashioned from biocompatible materials such as hydroxyapatite or bioactive glass. They mimic the structure of natural bone and support cell attachment and new bone growth.

Alloplast benefits include:

• Customization to fit various shapes and sizes
• Consistent composition, unlike natural bone, which can vary in density and structure
• Availability — doesn’t depend on donors or your own bone supply

If you need a bone graft, call us at St. Tammany Periodontics & Dental Implants in Covington or Slidell, Louisiana, or request an appointment online. We can help you understand bone grafting materials and select the best option for your specific needs.