Gunaseelan Rajan: To graft or not to graft?

Grafting options in the edentulous maxilla include autografts, allografts and heterografts. Complications for sinus grafting include membrane perforations, sinusitis and graft resorption. Onlay/ inter-positional bone grafts and GBR have resorption rates ranging from 10%-50%, graft exposure, infection and graft loss. Grafting/ bone regeneration procedures in the edentulous mandible include onlay/ inter-positional block grafts, GBR and distraction osteogenesis. Morbidity includes parasthesia, pain, graft infection, unpredictable resorption and donor site complications.

Graftless solutions for the completely edentulous maxilla and mandible have become very successful and predictable rendering grafting necessary in only very limited situations.The evidence will be compared, in order to optimize treatment outcomes.

Dr. Gunaseelan Rajan is a renowned oral and maxillofacial surgeon and researcher based in Chennai, India and heads the Rajan Dental Institute. He introduced zygomatic implant surgery in India. He is an Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Medicine and Pathology with over 20 publications in peer-reviewed journals.