New barrier aids bone regrowth

Surgeons typically fill this hole with socket grafting material, but a barrier placed over the graft may help the bone regrow even faster.

A study in the current issue of the Journal of Oral Implantology looks at a new type of barrier membrane, known as porcine collagen, that has been recently introduced in the United States. The intent was to find out how quickly a bone graft can develop when porcine collagen is placed over the grafted tooth socket.

Socket grafting is one of the most frequently performed procedures in oral surgery. After a tooth is pulled, the tooth socket in the jawbone where the tooth had been anchored can rapidly shrink and make it impossible to place a dental implant. To prevent this, the surgeon fills the hole with a bone grafting material that combines with the natural bone to rebuild or preserve the bone’s strength. A barrier membrane, such as porcine collagen, can keep the gum from growing into the space.