Bone Graft Materials in Oral Surgery and Implant Dentistry
The Importance of Alveolar Bone Volume
Sufficient alveolar ridge bone height and width are essential for successful dental implant surgery. Bone resorption commonly occurs after tooth extraction, especially when the extraction site is not preserved using a bone graft or a combination of grafting and implant placement.
Although bone loss may result from traumatic tooth extraction that destroys the buccal plate, anatomical bone deficiencies are more commonly the cause of inadequate bone volume at the intended implant site.
Studies show that bone resorption after tooth removal can be approximately 1.5–2 mm vertically and 3.8 mm horizontally within six months. Restoring this lost bone volume with a bone graft material such as Vitality Bone allograft is critical for establishing an ideal site for implant placement.
Hard tissue engineering—commonly referred to as bone regeneration—is widely implemented by oral surgeons and implantologists to maximize the height and width of the alveolar ridge either before or during dental implant placement.
Bone Graft Types and Usage
While autogenous bone (harvested from the same patient) is considered the gold standard due to its regenerative properties, allografts (sourced from other humans, like Vitality Bone) and xenografts (from bovine sources) are more commonly utilized due to their availability.
Allograft bone such as Vitality Bone contains only mineralized components with no viable cells. These are absorbed by the patient’s body and replaced with live bone within approximately four months. Both autogenous and allograft bone grafts have been used in dental and oral surgery for over 60 years.
Use of allograft bone, such as Vitality Bone, has significantly increased due to advancements in implantology and the rising need for alveolar ridge reconstruction to ensure both functional and esthetic implant-supported restorations.
Dental implant placement typically requires a minimum of 10 mm in height and 4–6 mm in ridge width.
Ideal Characteristics of Mineralized Allograft
Mineralized freeze-dried bone allograft (FDBA) has several ideal properties for hard tissue engineering: - Biocompatibility - Biodegradability - Mechanical strength
FDBA offers a stable foundation for bone growth and allows for cell migration and function. Its interconnected pore structure and high porosity create a natural scaffold that promotes stem cell differentiation into osteoblasts and encourages new bone formation.
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Clinical indications for FDBA include: - Socket preservation - Guided bone regeneration (GBR) - Ridge augmentation - Maxillary sinus augmentation - Treatment of peri-implant defects
Vitality Bone Allograft Product Specifications
Vitality Bone was introduced by Dr. Hamid Shafie, a prominent key opinion leader and best-selling author in implant dentistry. It is processed by an established, AATB-accredited American tissue bank.
Vitality Bone consists of a 70% cortical and 30% cancellous bone mixture. This structural composition allows for a high concentration of osteoblasts and osteocytes, providing superior osteogenic potential.
The large trabecular surface area enhances vascularization and integration at the recipient site. Cortical particles provide structural support, essential for horizontal and vertical ridge augmentation.
Turnover Rate and Particle Size
The turnover rate of bone graft material varies depending on particle mixture, size, and technique. - Cancellous chips: Faster resorption - Cortical chips: Slower turnover, better shape retention
Vitality Bone’s 70/30 mix offers the ideal balance for maintaining graft shape and promoting timely remodeling.
Importance of Bone Graft Particle Size
Initially, bone graft materials were designed to be passive structural supports. Vitality Bone incorporates engineered surface topographies at the micro- and nanoscale levels to enhance bone regeneration.
• Particle size: 500–1000 microns
• Larger particles improve space maintenance and mechanical resistance • Smaller particles dissolve faster but may compromise retention
Vitality Bone uses a 500–1000 micron range to maximize bone quality while maintaining a turnover time of about four months.
Benefits of 100% Mineralized Bone Allograft
Vitality Bone is a fully mineralized freeze-dried allograft (FDBA), offering: - Biocompatibility - Biodegradability - Mechanical strength
It serves as an excellent scaffold for osteoblast activity and is indicated for procedures like socket preservation, GBR, ridge and sinus augmentation, and peri-implant defect repair.
FDBA vs. DFDBA
Mineralized FDBA such as Vitality Bone promotes dense, high-quality bone formation, making it preferable to demineralized FDBA (DFDBA) in many procedures, particularly lateral ridge augmentation.
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Indications for Vitality Bone Allograft
• Socket preservation
• GBR ridge augmentation
• Maxillary sinus augmentation • Peri-implant defect treatment
Bone Allograft Traceability
Traceability is critical for surgical safety. Surgeons and patients must have confidence in the ability to trace any graft back to its donor.
Vitality Bone is fully traceable, with donors sourced within the U.S. and selected through a rigorous screening process to ensure optimal results.
Quality Control
Vitality Bone is produced under a robust quality assurance system: - Quality Management (QM) - Quality Assurance (QA) - Quality Control (QC)
The production process exceeds basic tissue bank standards, ensuring a consistently high-quality product.
Biologic Characteristics of an Ideal Bone Graft
An ideal graft like Vitality Bone should: 1. Contain osteogenic progenitor cells 2. Exhibit osteoinductive potential 3. Provide a scaffold for three-dimensional tissue ingrowth
Vitality Bone vs. Xenografts and Synthetic Grafts
Premium allografts like Vitality Bone are the only grafts considered potentially osteoinductive.
Summary
Vitality Bone allograft offers: - A 70/30 cortical-cancellous blend - Ideal particle size (500–1000 microns) - Predictable turnover (4 months) - Full donor traceability - Superior osteogenic potential
It is a safe, effective, and highly trusted bone graft material for modern oral surgery and implantology.