Autograft

An autograft uses your own bone, harvested from a donor site (another area of your body) and transplanted to where it is needed. It is considered the gold standard for bone grafting because it contains living cells, growth factors, and structural protein — all of which promote excellent healing.

Donor sites

For dental implant cases, bone is most commonly harvested from within the mouth — the chin (symphysis), the back of the lower jaw (ramus), or the wisdom tooth area. For very large reconstructions, bone may be taken from the hip (iliac crest), which requires a hospital procedure under general anaesthetic.

Advantages

• Contains living osteogenic cells — best biological outcome
• No risk of disease transmission
• No immunological reaction

Disadvantages

• Requires a second surgical site, which means additional recovery and potential discomfort
• Limited quantity available from intraoral sites
• Hip harvest requires hospitalisation

For most routine augmentations, high-quality synthetic or xenograft materials perform comparably to autograft without the need for a second surgical site.