Dental Bone Grafting

Building a Foundation

Why Bone Is Lost — and Why It Matters

Your jawbone is maintained by the natural forces of chewing transmitted through tooth roots. When a tooth is lost, that stimulation stops and the bone in that area begins to shrink — most rapidly in the first year, then more slowly but continuously. Long-term denture wearers and anyone who lost teeth years ago often have less bone than they realise.

A dental implant needs enough bone volume and density to hold it securely while it fuses. If there isn’t enough, grafting rebuilds the site first.

Types of Graft

Socket preservation — graft material placed straight into the socket at the time of extraction to limit shrinkage. The simplest and most effective approach if you know an implant is planned. Ridge augmentation — rebuilding width or height where bone has already been lost. Sinus lift — in the upper back jaw, gently raising the sinus floor to create room for implant length.

What to Expect

The area is fully numbed. Graft material is placed and the site is closed, often with a protective membrane. Discomfort afterwards is usually mild and manageable with over-the-counter pain relief. Your own bone then grows into and replaces the graft material over roughly three to six months before the implant is placed.