Bone Grafting
What Is Bone Grafting?
Bone grafting adds volume to the jawbone where it has been lost, creating a stable foundation for dental implants. It is a common preparatory step for patients with insufficient bone density.
Bone grafting is a surgical procedure that replaces or augments bone in the jaw where it has been lost due to tooth extraction, gum disease, trauma, or long-term denture wear.
Why is it needed? Dental implants require adequate bone volume and density to integrate successfully. If a tooth has been missing for some time, the jawbone may have resorbed to the point where an implant cannot be placed without grafting first.
How does it work? Grafting material — which may be taken from the patient, a donor source, or synthetic material — is placed at the implant site. Over several months, the body integrates this material with the existing bone, creating a stronger foundation.
Types of bone grafts include socket preservation (at the time of extraction), ridge augmentation (to widen the jaw), and sinus lifts (to add bone in the upper jaw).
Bone grafting adds time and cost to the implant process, but it significantly improves the long-term success rate of implants in patients who would otherwise not be candidates.
Your dental practitioner will assess your bone structure using X-rays or CT scans during your consultation.
Important Patient Information
- • Every patient requires an individual clinical assessment.
- • Not every patient is suitable for every treatment.
- • Treatment recommendations differ between patients.
- • All procedures involve risks and benefits.
- • Expected outcomes vary between individuals.
Information on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute financial, taxation or legal advice. A consultation with a qualified dental practitioner is required to determine suitability for any treatment. Where superannuation is discussed, eligibility and approval are determined by the ATO and are not guaranteed.