Bone grafting materials in dentoalveolar reconstruction: A comprehensive review

Bone deficits of the jaws are often attributed to accidents, surgical removal of benign lesions or malignant neoplasms, congenital abnormalities, periodontal inflammation, tooth abscess or extraction and finally jaw atrophy due to advanced age or general disease. These bone defects require rehabilitation for a variety of reasons, e.g. maintaining the normal anatomic outline, eliminating empty space, aesthetic restoration and placing dental implants. Today, several techniques have been developed to eliminate these bone deformities including bone grafting, guided bone regeneration, distraction osteogenesis, use of growth factors and stem cells. Bone grafts consist of materials of natural or synthetic origin, implanted into the bone defect site, documented to possess bone healing properties. Currently, a variety of bone restorative materials with different characteristics are available, possesing different properties. Despite years of effort the 'perfect' bone reconstruction material has not yet been developed, a further effort is required to make this objective feasible. The aim of this article is to provide a contemporary and comprehensive overview of the grafting materials that can be applied in dentoalveolar reconstruction, discussing their properties, advantages and disadvantages, enlightening the present and the future perspectives in the field of bone regeneration.