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Bone Grafting in Periodontal and Oral Surgery

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Bone Grafting Arrives in Veterinary Periodontal and Oral Surgery

Bone grafting in periodontal surgery, oral surgery, oral orthopedics post-trauma, and extraction patients are now commonplace procedures by the veterinary dentist. Teeth, which ended up, as being defined "hopeless" in the past can now be saved with the advanced techniques of guided tissue regeneration utilizing bone grafts.

Similarly difficult fractures can now undergo accelerated healing through the technology of bone augmentation. When a tooth is extracted, it is natural for the body to respond to the loss with a subsequent bone regression or resorption. This can be a significant phenomenon if there already is severe bone loss from the existing pathology present in the patient. With grafting, this bone can be replaced and bone loss (alveolar ridge maintenance) can be returned to the pre-extraction height.

Nutramax Laboratories distributes Consil/TM an alloplastic bone grafting material that appears to have the consistency and appearance of table salt to licensed veterinarians.

This bioactive particulate ceramic glass is composed of sodium and calcium salts, phosphates, and silicon dioxide. After placement in an infrabony pocket, an extraction site, or a fracture site, a series of reactions occur that lead to the formation of a hydroxyapatite layer to which bone can bond. Osteoblasts are attracted to the hydroxycarbonate apatite crystals. The end result is a strong bonded interface consisting of a series of layers: glass, silica gel, hydroxycarbonate apatite and bone. Over a period of about fourteen months, the bone graft material is replaced by new bone completely.

Only a few usages of bone graft material have been outlined. The veterinary dentist has many other choices for the placement of this material based on quality intraoral dental x-rays. No patient should be treated with bone graft material without pre-treatment x-ray diagnostics. The penalty of improper or incorrect placement could lead to a scenario of non-healing or even worse patient pain.