Xenograft

A xenograft is bone graft material sourced from another species — typically bovine (cow) bone or, less commonly, porcine (pig) bone. It is the most widely used bone graft material in implant dentistry worldwide.

How it is made

The bone is processed to remove all organic material (proteins and cells), leaving only the mineral scaffold — calcium hydroxyapatite. This mineral matrix is sterile, non-immunogenic (does not trigger immune rejection), and provides an excellent scaffold for your own bone cells to grow into and eventually replace.

The most commonly used xenograft

Bio-Oss (Geistlich) is the most widely studied and commonly used xenograft material. It has over 25 years of clinical data supporting its safety and efficacy in dental bone grafting procedures.

Safety

Processed bovine xenograft has an excellent safety record. The processing eliminates any risk of disease transmission. Religious concerns about bovine material are relatively uncommon but should be raised at consultation if applicable — alternative materials are available.

Resorption rate

Xenograft material is very slowly resorbed by the body — significantly slower than autograft or some allografts. This slow resorption can be advantageous for long-term volume maintenance, but means that implant sites grafted with xenograft may show graft particles on X-ray for many years after treatment.