Bone Grafting for Implants

Do I have enough bone for dental implants?

After tooth extraction, if the walls of the socket are very thick, they will usually fill in naturally with bone in about 2-3 months.  However, when the walls of the socket are very thin, this type of healing will not be as predictable.  In these situations, a bone graft is often placed at the time of tooth extraction to help your body fill in the empty socket with bone.  This step will maintain the width and volume of bone you will need for the implant replacement several months later.

There may be inadequate bone for implant placement if your tooth was removed many years ago and the bony ridge is extremely thin.  In this case, a bone graft can be placed next to the thin bone and allowed to heal for up to six months.