Oral Surgery Procedures · Bone Grafting & Ridge Augmentation
Bone Grafting
After a tooth is lost, the jawbone around it gradually shrinks. A dental bone graft adds volume and density back to the jaw, acting as a scaffold your body uses to grow new bone of its own. Grafting is most often done to create a solid foundation for dental implants, and it is one of the most common procedures in oral surgery.
About 1 week of initial healing
3–12 months for the graft to mature
No smoking while the graft heals
Why It’s Needed
Rebuilding the foundation
An implant needs enough healthy bone around it to stay stable for the long term. When bone has been lost, grafting restores it.
Common causes of bone loss
- Missing or extracted teeth, since the bone no longer has a root to support.
- Gum disease or infection around the teeth.
- Injury or trauma to the mouth and jaw.
What grafting can do
- Fill an empty socket right after an extraction.
- Increase the width and height of the jawbone.
- Create a strong base for implants or rebuild the jaw before dentures.
- Help support teeth loosened by bone loss.
Graft materials
- Autograft: your own bone, taken from another area.
- Allograft: human donor bone from a licensed tissue bank.
- Xenograft: processed bovine or porcine bone.
- Alloplast: a lab-made substitute such as hydroxyapatite.
Types of Grafts
Common grafting procedures
The right approach depends on where bone is needed and how much has been lost.
Socket Preservation
Graft material is placed in the socket at the time a tooth is removed. This limits the shrinkage that normally follows an extraction and keeps the site ready for a future implant.
Ridge Augmentation
When the ridge of bone that once held the teeth has become too thin or too short, graft material is added along it and usually covered with a protective membrane to rebuild its width and height.
Sinus Lift
The bone beneath the sinuses in the upper back jaw is often thin. The sinus membrane is gently lifted and graft material is placed underneath, adding the height needed to anchor implants in that area.
The Procedure
How a bone graft is typically placed
Exact steps vary with the graft site, but most procedures follow the same general sequence. Most people report little to no pain.
Step 1
Anesthesia
- Local anesthesia numbs the gums.
- Sedation is available if you prefer to be more relaxed.
Step 2
Preparing the site
- A small incision is made in the gum.
- The gum is gently moved back to expose the bone.
- The area is cleaned and disinfected.
Step 3
Placing the graft
- Graft material is added where bone is missing.
- A protective membrane is placed over it. Many dissolve on their own.
- Platelet-rich plasma from your own blood may be added to support healing.
Step 4
Closing & healing
- The gum is repositioned and closed with stitches.
- Grafts need at least three months to heal; larger grafts can take nine to 12 months.
- Once healed, implants are best placed within six to 12 months, before the new bone starts to shrink.
After Your Graft
Know what’s normal, and when to call
Protect the graft while it heals: don’t smoke or vape, avoid alcohol for at least two weeks, skip exercise and heavy lifting for 48 hours, and don’t spit, swish hard or press on the site.
What’s normal
- Tenderness, swelling and bruising for one to two weeks.
- Small granules that look like grains of sand or salt in your mouth over the first few days.
- Light oozing during the first day.
Call our office if
- You have a fever of 101°F or higher.
- Swelling increases, or pain worsens after the first week.
- You see pus or drainage from the graft site.
- You lose a large amount of graft granules, or the stitches open early.
For general home-care steps, see our Post-Care & Recovery guide. If you have difficulty breathing or swallowing, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Next Steps
Wondering if you need a bone graft?
3D imaging at a consultation shows how much bone you have and whether grafting would help before an implant or denture.
This page describes how the procedure is typically performed and is not a substitute for professional advice. Your surgeon will recommend a plan based on your exam, imaging and health history.
