When the jaw no longer has enough bone to support a dental implant, a bone graft rebuilds the foundation. Our board-certified periodontists use precise, minimally invasive grafting techniques to give you a stable base for lasting results.
A dental bone graft is a procedure that adds bone material to an area of the jaw that has lost height, width, or density. The graft acts as a scaffold. Over the following months, your own bone cells grow into and around it, gradually forming new, living bone that is strong enough to anchor a future dental implant.
Bone grafting is most often recommended as a precursor to implant placement, not as a stand-alone treatment. Implants rely on a certain amount of surrounding bone to stay secure over time, and many patients simply do not have enough of it left by the time they are ready to replace a missing tooth.
Patients typically need a graft for one of a few reasons: they lost a tooth years ago and the jawbone in that area has gradually resorbed, they have a history of advanced periodontal disease that damaged the bone supporting their teeth, or a recent CT scan showed that the available bone volume simply is not sufficient for safe, stable implant placement. In each case, grafting is the step that makes implant treatment possible again.
Bone grafting follows a deliberate, unhurried timeline because durable results depend on the graft fully integrating with your natural bone.
We evaluate your jaw with 3D cone-beam imaging to measure exactly how much bone volume and density is present, and where it falls short of what an implant will need.
Under local anesthesia (with sedation options available), graft material is placed at the site and secured. The area is closed to protect it while healing begins.
Over the next several months, your body's own cells grow into the graft, converting it into solid, living bone. Healing time varies by graft size and location.
Once healing is well underway, follow-up imaging confirms the bone has matured enough to safely support an implant, and we move forward with placement.
Dr. Rana Shahi, Dr. Priscilla Young, and Dr. Ivan Yi have each completed advanced surgical training specifically in bone and gum tissue, the discipline behind every graft we perform.
We plan every graft around detailed cone-beam scans, so the amount and placement of material is mapped to your anatomy rather than estimated.
From socket preservation to sinus lifts, our doctors have performed a wide range of grafting procedures, bringing a calm, practiced hand to a step many patients feel nervous about.
We do not just graft and send you on your way. Every treatment plan connects the graft to your eventual implant timeline, so you always know what comes next.
You have been missing one or more teeth for an extended period of time.
Recent imaging shows your jawbone is thinner or shorter than it needs to be for an implant.
You are planning to get dental implants but were told your bone volume is insufficient.
You have a history of gum disease that has affected the bone supporting your teeth.
You need an upcoming extraction and want to preserve the socket for a future implant.
You have worn dentures for years and want a more permanent, implant-supported solution.
Schedule a consultation with our periodontists to find out whether a bone graft is the right first step toward your dental implants.
Not always. Many patients have plenty of healthy bone and can move straight to implant placement. A graft becomes necessary when 3D imaging shows the bone in the planned implant site is too thin, short, or soft to support one safely. We will only recommend a graft if your scans indicate you actually need one.
The procedure itself is performed under local anesthesia, and sedation options are available for anxious patients, so you should not feel pain during treatment. Afterward, most patients describe mild soreness and swelling similar to a tooth extraction, which is manageable with the aftercare instructions we provide.
Healing time depends on the size of the graft and where it was placed, but it generally takes several months for the graft to fully integrate with your natural bone. We confirm readiness with follow-up imaging before scheduling implant placement, rather than relying on a fixed calendar date.
Depending on your case, we may use bone from your own body, processed donor bone, or a biocompatible synthetic material. Each option is safe and well established in periodontal surgery. We will walk you through which type is best suited to your specific graft during your consultation.
In some cases, particularly with socket preservation grafts placed right after an extraction, a small graft can be combined with implant placement. When more significant bone rebuilding is needed, such as ridge augmentation or a sinus lift, the graft typically needs to heal on its own first for the best long-term stability.
Ridge augmentation rebuilds the width or height of the jawbone itself, most often used for the lower jaw or front of the upper jaw. A sinus lift specifically adds bone beneath the sinus cavity to create adequate space for implants in the upper back teeth, where the sinus often leaves very little bone available.
Coverage varies widely by plan, and some insurers cover a portion of grafting when it is medically necessary for implant placement. Our team can help verify your benefits and walk you through your estimated costs before treatment begins.
Placing an implant into bone that is too thin or soft increases the risk of the implant failing to integrate properly or becoming unstable over time. When imaging shows insufficient bone, grafting first gives the implant a solid, lasting foundation instead of a compromised one.
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