Over a period of time, the jaw bone associated with missing teeth atrophies and is reabsorbed. This often leaves a condition in which there is poor quality and quantity of bone suitable for the placement of dental implants. In these situations, most patients are not candidates for the placement of dental implants.

With bone grafting we now have the opportunity to not only replace bone where it is missing, but we also have the ability to promote new bone growth in that location. This not only gives us the opportunity to place implants of proper length and width, it also gives us a chance to restore functionality and aesthetic appearance.

Autogenous bone grafts, also known as autografts, are made from the patients own bone, taken from somewhere else in their body. The bone is typically harvested from the chin, jaw, lower leg bone, hip, or the skull. Autogenous bone grafts are advantageous in that the graft material is the patients own live bone, meaning it contains living cellular elements that enhances bone growth. It also eliminates the risk of the patients body rejecting the graft material since it comes from them.

However, one downside to the autograft is that it requires a second procedure to harvest bone from elsewhere in the body. Depending on the patients condition, a second procedure may not be recommended.

Allogenic bone, or allograft, is dead bone harvested from a cadaver, then processed using a freeze-dry method to extract the water via a vacuum. Unlike autogenous bone, allogenic bone cannot produce new bone on its own. Rather, it serves as a framework, or scaffold, over which bone from the surrounding bony walls can grow to fill the defect or void.

Xenogenic bone is derived from non-living bone of another species, usually a cow. The bone is processed at very high temperatures to avoid the potential for immune rejection and contamination. Like allogenic grafts, xenogenic grafts serve as a framework for bone from the surrounding area to grow and fill the void.

Both allogenic and xenogenic bone grafting have an advantage of not requiring a second procedure to harvest the patients own bone, as with autografts. However, because these options lack autografts bone-forming properties, bone regeneration may take longer than with autografts, and have a less predictable outcome.

This product is processed allograft bone, containing collagen, proteins, and growth factors that are extracted from the allograft bone. It is available in the form of powder, putty, chips, or as a gel that can be injected through a syringe.

Graft composites consist of other bone graft materials and growth factors to achieve the benefits of a variety of substances. Some combinations may include: collagen/ceramic composite, which closely resembles the composition of natural bone, DBM combined with bone marrow cells, which aid in the growth of new bone, or a collagen/ceramic/autograft composite.

Synthetic materials also have the advantage of not requiring a second procedure to harvest bone, reducing risk and pain. Each bone grafting option has its own risks and benefits. Dr. Crago, Dr. Chahal, Dr. Deatherage, Dr. Gray, Dr. Gomez, Dr. Bui, Dr. Knoll or Dr. Miller will determine which type of bone graft material is best suited for each patients particular needs.

Dr. Crago received his BS degree from Auburn University in 1974 and then matriculated at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. He was awarded his DMD in 1977 and his MD in 1982. Dr. Crago also completed residencies in Oral Pathology and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery while at the University of Alabama.

Dr. Crago is both a Fellow of the American Academy of Oral Pathology and a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Dr. Crago has special interests in craniofacial traumatology and reconstruction, orthognathic surgery, reconstructive surgical management of temporomandibular joint dysfunction, distraction osteogenesis, cleft lip and palate reconstruction, reconstruction for obstructive sleep disorders, oral pathology, and dentoalveolar and implant surgery.

Dr. Chahal received his BS and DDS degrees from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He received his MD from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport. Dr. Chahal served his General Practice Residency in Dentistry at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. His residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery was completed at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Dr Chahal earned his MBA from the University of Mary in Fargo, North Dakota.

Dr. Chahal has had prior research experience in dental materials, molecular biology, and dental implantology. He has presented and published scientific papers in these areas. Prior to relocating to Grand Forks in 2003, Dr. Chahal was a Clinical Instructor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. He also held a position of Assistant Professor at the University Manitobas Department of Dental Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences in Winnipeg. Currently, Dr. Chahal is a part-time Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine.

Dr. Chahals interests include dental implants and orthognathic facial reconstruction. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and a Fellow of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. He is also a member of a number of local, regional, and national professional organizations.

Dr. Deatherage is a graduate of the University of Alabama where he received a BS in chemistry in 1983. He then went on to graduate from the University of Alabama School of Dentistry where he was awarded a DMD in 1987. He continued at the University of Alabama as a research fellow in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for one year, then pursued his education at the University of Texas Health Science Center from 1988-94 where he completed his Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and General Surgery training as well as awarded an MD in 1992.

He entered practice in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Cosmetic Surgery in Rogers, Arkansas in 1994 and practiced the full scope of his specialty through 2006. While in practice, Dr. Deatherage was selected as a member of the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners from 2001-2004 and served as its President from 2003-2004. He also served as President of the Ozark Dental Association in 1998.

In 2006, Dr. Deatherage joined the faculty of the University of Alabama School of Dentistry as an Associate Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He was given the Best Faculty Award (Hospital Dentistry) in 2007 and was elected a Fellow of the American College of Dentistry in 2008. Dr. Deatherage is the recipient of numerous academic awards and scholarships, and has published seventeen scientific papers and abstracts in his career. He is certified by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He is also a member of the American Dental Association, American Medical Association, and the Pierre Fauchard Academy.

Dr. Deatherage has special interests in orthognathicand sleep apnea surgery, facial cosmetic surgery, craniofacial traumatology and reconstruction, TMJ surgery, cleft lip and palate surgery, dentoalveolar and implant surgery, and the management of maxillofacial pathology.