Bone graft (Bone Graft/ Sinus lift)

A bone graft rebuilds jawbone that has been lost, so that a dental implant has enough bone to hold on to. The graft uses the patient's own bone, a bone substitute, or a combination of the two, placed in the area where bone has resorbed. It is a preparatory procedure: the aim is to create the volume an implant needs, not to replace the implant itself.

When a bone graft is needed

Bone begins to resorb once a tooth is lost, because it no longer receives the forces of chewing. Long gaps, advanced gum disease and difficult extractions all reduce the volume that remains. When imaging shows that the bone is too narrow or too short to hold an implant safely, grafting is proposed before or at the same time as implant surgery.

Bone graft and sinus lift

• Bone graft. Bone or a bone substitute is placed against the deficient area and covered so that it is held in position while new bone forms. It is used where the ridge is too thin or too low for an implant.
• Sinus lift. In the upper back jaw the sinus floor often sits close to the ridge, leaving little height for an implant. A sinus lift raises the sinus membrane and places graft material beneath it, adding height to the bone that will support the implant.

How the treatment works

The surgeon plans the graft on three dimensional imaging, which shows the exact volume that is missing. The procedure is carried out under local anesthesia. Graft material is placed, the site is closed, and the bone is left to mature before implants are placed. Depending on the site and the amount of bone needed, the implant is sometimes placed during the same procedure and sometimes after the graft has healed.

Recovery and aftercare

Swelling and some discomfort are expected in the first days and settle with the measures the clinic advises. After a sinus lift, patients are usually asked to avoid blowing their nose forcefully and to be careful when sneezing while the site heals. The graft is reviewed with imaging before implants are placed, so that the treatment only continues once the bone has formed as planned.