Bone Grafting
Where a tooth has been missing, the jaw bone quietly shrinks. A graft rebuilds it, so an implant of proper length and width has something to hold onto.
- Visits
- One for the graft, then healing checks
- Anesthetic
- Local
- Healing
- A few months; 6 to 12 for larger grafts
- Graft sources
- Your own bone, donor, bovine or synthetic
Every service is quoted up front, before we start. All PPO insurances accepted.
The service
Rebuilding the foundation.
After a tooth is lost the bone that held it atrophies and is reabsorbed, often leaving too little quality bone to place a dental implant. Bone grafting replaces the missing bone and prompts your body to grow new bone in that spot, restoring both function and the natural contour of the jaw.
Graft material comes from four sources: your own bone (autograft), processed donor bone (allograft), animal-derived bone, usually bovine (xenograft), or synthetic materials (alloplast). These ready-made options are well proven, from demineralized bone matrix to graft composites and bone morphogenetic proteins that regulate bone healing, and they spare you a second surgical site to harvest bone from.
Each option carries its own trade-offs, and Dr. Danoukh selects the material that suits your case after reviewing your scan.
Is it for you
Worth asking about if.
You do not need to match every line. Any one of them is reason enough to ask.
- An implant is planned where a tooth has been missing a while
- You have been told the bone is too thin or too soft for an implant
- Gum disease has cost you bone around the teeth
- A denture has loosened as the ridge underneath has shrunk
- The jaw line has visibly sunken where teeth are gone
Afterwards
While the graft takes.
Expect some swelling and soreness for a few days, manageable with over-the-counter pain relief or whatever is prescribed. Eat soft food, keep the site clean exactly as instructed, and leave it undisturbed: no probing with the tongue, no smoking, which starves the graft of blood supply.
The graft integrates with your own bone over months: smaller grafts in a few, larger ones or implant sites in 6 to 12. Follow-up visits track the healing and tell us the moment the site is ready for its implant.
Call the office if:
- Bleeding does not slow with gentle pressure
- Swelling or pain worsens after the third day
- You develop a fever or a bad taste that will not rinse away
- The wound reopens or the site feels loose
Common questions
Answering your questions.
Why do I need a graft before an implant?
An implant needs a stable, adequate bed of bone to anchor in. Where bone has been lost to missing teeth or gum disease, the graft creates that volume so the implant can hold securely for the long term.
Where does the bone come from?
From you (autograft), a donor (allograft), an animal source, usually bovine (xenograft), or a synthetic biocompatible material (alloplast). The best source depends on your case and your preference.
How long until it heals?
Minor grafts heal in a few months. Larger grafts, or those preparing for implants, can take 6 to 12 months to fully integrate with your own bone.
What are the risks?
As with any surgery: infection, graft rejection or incomplete integration. Following the post-operative instructions and keeping every follow-up visit is how problems get caught early, or avoided.
Your first visit
One ticket covers it.
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