Bone grafting

A bone graft is the placement of a material that will facilitate bone growth in an area where a future implant will be placed.

Not every site needs a graft, but Dr. Curtis reviews each individual circumstance to determine what the optimal treatment is.

Common graft types — in plain English

• Socket graft: fills the space when a tooth comes out. See socket preservation
• Ridge or block graft: rebuilds a ridge that has already flattened, sometimes with a small piece of bone
• Guided bone regeneration: graft material plus a membrane that holds the shape while you heal
• Sinus lift: raises the sinus floor in the upper back jaw. See sinus lift

Graft material can come from your own body, from a tissue bank, or it can be synthetic. Dr. Curtis will name what he recommends and why.

Grafting is discussed when imaging shows there is not enough bone for an implant, or when an extraction site should be preserved for a future implant.

• A missing tooth with a dip in the gum line
• Upper molars with a low sinus floor
• A thin lower ridge
• A full-arch plan that needs more bone in one area

A small socket graft can be done the same day as an extraction and the healing process is usually very similar.

A larger ridge graft or sinus lift typically is a longer procedure with a slightly longer recovery.

Gum healing takes place over the first 3 weeks and the bone graft heals under the surface for 3-6 months. After the graft is fully healed, a CBCT image is taken to determine graft consolidation and to plan for implant placement.

A longer explainer is at bone grafting before implants.

Soreness is similar to an extraction. Swelling can be a bit more if the gum was released to cover the graft. A few small particles on the tongue are common. Do not rinse hard or poke the site.

Day by day, then months

• Day of surgery: gauze if the site is open to the mouth. Do not chew on a fresh socket graft. Ice the first day only.
• Days 1–3: swelling, if the gum was opened widely, often peaks around day three. Soft food.
• First 1–2 weeks: the gum is closing. Stitches on a graft often last about two weeks. A few sand-like particles can appear and are described on the sheet.
• Months: the graft under the gum is still becoming bone. An implant is planned after a check, often a scan, not because a fixed number of weeks has passed.

If a membrane becomes exposed, call us. After a sinus lift, avoid forceful nose blowing for the period we give you.

Call us if

• Bleeding does not slow
• Graft material keeps coming out, or the gum stays widely open
• Pain or swelling is worse after day three, or you have a fever
• You are still numb in the lip or chin the morning after surgery

This visit is also useful if you were told you need a graft — or told you do not, and you want another look.

Read bone graft aftercare. Download post-operative instructions (PDF).

A socket graft, a larger ridge graft, and a sinus lift are different operations. The estimate also changes if an implant is placed at the same time, if sedation is used, and if a membrane is part of the plan.

What changes the fee is the work itself: whether grafting is needed, which anesthesia is used, the type of restoration your dentist will make, and whether new imaging is required. Dr. Curtis gives an estimate at the consultation, after the exam. This website does not list prices.

The office takes most PPO dental plans. The current in-network list is on patient info. Call (561) 833-6880 if you want to ask about a plan before you come in.