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 your own bone, taken from somewhere else in the 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 your own live bone, meaning it contains living cellular elements that enhances bone growth, also eliminating the risk of your body rejecting the graft material since it comes from you.

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 your 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.

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. Wood will determine which type of bone graft material is best suited to your particular needs.

Completing dental school at the University of Louisville in 1991, Dr. Wood embarked on his post-graduate training at the University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville, Florida with an internship and residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery. He then completed a fellowship in orthognathic and temporomandibular joint surgery at University of Florida Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida.

Finishing his training in 1997, Dr. Wood began his practice, South Georgia Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Valdosta, GA. He is board certified by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and is a fellow of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. He maintains membership in the Georgia Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, American Dental Association, Georgia Dental Association and the Southwestern District Dental Association.