[Bone harvesting from the oral cavity]

Autogenous bone grafts have been used successfully in combination with osseointegration and have shown several advantages as compared with other regenerative techniques in the restoration of bone volume for implant placement. Minor bone defects of periodontal, traumatic, and endodontic origins can easily be corrected by harvesting the bone intraorally. Also, sinus grafting procedures can be performed using inlay bone blocks from the mandibular symphysis. Mandibular and maxillary bone can be used as a whole block or can be ground into particulate size and grafted. The harvesting techniques should be as gentle as possible, and care should be taken to minimize the extracorporeal time of the graft. The use of intraoral bone donor sites, in comparison with extraoral sites, has several advantages: General anesthesia is not required; there is no need for postoperative hospitalization; and there is less morbidity in the donor sites. Patients must be informed of the benefits and limits of the autogenous bone harvesting in traditional donor sites, along with the benefits and risks in grafting from the alternative sites. A preoperative radiological study of the patient should include panoramic, lateral, and periapical radiographs. Pre- and postoperative antibiotic coverage is indicated with bone harvesting. The only disadvantage in intraoral grafting is the limited quantity of intraoral bone obtainable. While the long-term evaluations are still lacking, the intraoral grafting shows promising short-term results.