Glossary

When patients don’t have enough bone to support a dental implant, a bone graft may be necessary. The success of bone grafting depends on the ability of the donor bone to bring in host cells to the site graft and convert them into cells that will form bone. If the bone cannot recruit host cells or facilitate their conversion to bone cells, the graft is usually a failure. The osteogenic, osteoinductive, and osteoconductive capabilities of the donor bone dictate a large part of how successful the graft will be. Demineralized bone matrix (DBM) is a type of allograft bone that has been processed to remove inorganic minerals, leaving only the organic bone matrix behind. The demineralization process increases the bioavailability of allograft donor bone, making it a superior material to demineralized bone grafts. Demineralized bone matrix (DBM) was discovered in 1965 by Marshall Urist, a U.S. orthopedic surgeon practicing in Los Angeles, California.

A demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft (DFDBA) is an allograft composed of demineralized bone matrix (DBM) following the demineralization of a freeze-dried bone allograft (FDBA). Though a variety of bone graft options have been used in the regeneration of periodontal tissue, DFDBA is used the most often. It has been shown to be effective in the reconstruction of both furcation and periodontal defects and has also demonstrated osteoinductive effects. When implanted in bone that is already well-vascularized, it has the ability to stimulate cell attachment, cell migration, and osteogenesis. DFDBA contains bone morphogenic protein (BMP) that causes new bone formation to take place during healing. It is therefore an effective option for bone regeneration. Some dental and oral surgery patients may require bone enhancing procedures prior to receiving an implant or other dental prosthesis. Due to the many benefits of DFDBA, it is a commonly used material for such bone enhancement and bone development processes.