Bone grafting
For a jaw that has shrunk where a tooth used to be, so an implant has something to stand in.
A bone graft adds bone-building material where the jaw has thinned, so there is enough to hold an implant firmly. It can also go into a socket the day a tooth comes out, to keep the bone from shrinking before the implant goes in.
When there is not enough bone.
- The X-rays taken for an implant show too little bone left where the tooth was.
- A tooth came out years ago and the gum over the space has sunk into a dip.
- A tooth is coming out and an implant is planned for the same spot later.
- An upper back tooth is missing and the sinus sits low, leaving little bone above the gap.
- You were told at another office that there is not enough bone for an implant.
A bone graft, step by step.
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01
Measuring the bone
Dr. Malik looks at the X-rays of the area, how much bone is left and where the nerve and the sinus sit. From that he tells you whether you need a graft at all, and how large a one.
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02
Choosing the material
Most grafts use processed donor bone or a bone mineral substitute; occasionally a little of your own bone is taken from nearby. He tells you what he plans to use before the day.
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03
Placing the graft
With the area frozen, the gum is opened, the material is packed against the bone and covered with a thin membrane, and the gum is stitched closed. A socket graft after an extraction is smaller and fits into the same appointment.
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04
Letting it take
Over a few months, longer for a big graft, your body replaces the material with its own bone. If the gap shows when you talk or smile, a temporary tooth can be worn over it.
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05
Then the implant
Once an X-ray shows solid bone, the implant goes in. For a small defect, the graft and the implant can sometimes be placed together, which saves a stage.
How we bill a bone graft.
A graft is priced as its own stage, separate from the extraction before it and the implant after it, and a socket graft costs less than rebuilding a ridge. Coverage varies more than for most dental work: some plans pay part and some pay nothing towards grafts, so it is worth checking before you commit.
Ask us what it will costBone grafting, answered.
Does a bone graft hurt?
It is done with the area frozen, and for most people the days after are sore rather than painful, with some swelling. A socket graft feels much like the extraction on its own.
How long after a bone graft can I get an implant?
Usually a few months, once an X-ray shows the graft has become firm bone. When a small graft goes in alongside the implant, there is no extra wait.
What is graft material made from?
Usually processed bone from a human donor or an animal source, or a synthetic mineral, and the membrane over it is often collagen. If you have a religious or personal reason to avoid a source, tell Dr. Malik and ask what the alternatives are.
Can I avoid a graft?
Sometimes. A shorter or narrower implant, implants angled into better bone, or a bridge or denture may get around it. Dr. Malik tells you what each route gives up.
