Biomaterials are inert substances used to repair or replace damaged bone tissue in the oral cavity.

These materials are used in various areas of medicine, but mainly in the orthopaedic and dental fields.

There are two main macro-categories in which biomaterials can be divided: bone substitutes and membranes. Membranes are used to protect bone substitute in the area of intervention.

Bone substitutes, based on their origin, are divided into:

1. Human origin: it is the patient’s autologous bone taken from some parts of the body;
2. Animal origin: it is a substitute created following a production process in which a bone of bovine, equine or porcine origin is treated; this category is referred to as heterologous bone or xenografts;
3. Synthetic origin: it is a synthetic material coming from a chemical process.

Bone loss can be caused by several factors, a typical example is the inflammation of the gums due to bacterial plaque which if not removed with adequate oral hygiene, affects the bone. In other cases, following a tooth extraction, bone thickness could be reduced.

Regardless of the causes of bone loss, the most important thing is to proceed with a timely restoration of bone volume to ensure a rapid functional recovery of chewing and ensure long-term stability of teeth and implants and improve the aesthetics of teeth and gums.

Despite the characteristic hardness and strength, the bone is not a static tissue, but it changes continuously and continually repairs itself. This process is called bone remodelling. Every year about 10% of our total bone mass is renewed.

The bone substitute favours the process of regeneration and healing of the surgical wound.

Following the extraction of a tooth, near the extractive alveolus, both bone and gum tend to a progressive and natural reduction in their volume.

In order to guarantee stability to the implants, it is good to fill the extracted cavities with a biomaterial that will help to maintain the bone volume unaltered and to maintain stability around the implant screw.