Bone Grafting for Implants
Is There Enough Bone?
When you have teeth removed, the walls of the socket should naturally fill with bone within two to three months. This typically only happens if the walls are extremely thick. However, if the walls are thin, such as under your lower front teeth or in your upper jaw, the healing process is less predictable. In these situations, we may recommend a bone graft at the time of the extraction to ensure the socket fills with bone. This procedure is known as ridge preservation. This process helps maintain the volume and width of the bone in preparation for placing implants in the future.
About Bone Grafting
If your teeth were removed years ago and there’s now inadequate bone density for dental implants, we may recommend the placement of a bone graft along the thin bone. After it heals for about six months and the graft properly fuses to the bone, we will go back into the bone ridge and place the implant. A bone graft is typically a comfortable procedure. We can use some of materials for bone grafting, including bone harvested from your own body.
If the sinus cavities located in the upper jaw are too large or low and extend into the area where the teeth are anchored, you may need a bone graft. This can occur if your teeth in the back of your upper jaw were removed years ago and the bone density has decreased. In these situations, sinus grafting is required. This can be done in the office with local anesthesia and sedation when necessary. As part of the procedure, we will locate and elevate the membrane lining the sinuses. We then add bone to restore bone height, so the dental implants can be securely placed. We often perform this procedure at the same time as your implants.