Bone grafting in dentistry refers to the addition of artificial bone material into the upper or lower jawbones to achieve ideal strength, height or width for the successful placement of Implants.

The early loss of a permanent tooth and failure to replace it in a timely manner can lead to the resorption of its underlying bone. This, in turn, causes the ridge to shorten and the facial muscles to sag as they lose tone and support. For dental implant surgery to be successful in such compromised cases, it is necessary to load extra bone into the jawbone at the site of the procedure to allow for ideal osseointegration. There are two main types of grafts used in dentistry; autogenous grafts, which are made using the patient’s own bone material, and xenografts, which are made by harvesting bone material from animals. In implant surgeries, xenografts are preferred owing to their easy availability. They contain sterilized, mineral bone content that promotes regeneration of the ridge.