What Is Bone Grafting and Why Is It Important for Dental Implants?

If you’ve been told you don’t have enough bone for dental implants, don’t lose hope. Bone grafting is a well-established, highly successful procedure that rebuilds your jawbone to create a strong foundation for implant placement.

At Aloha Dental Specialty Center, Dr. Ostovar has performed hundreds of bone grafting procedures, helping patients who were previously told “you can’t have implants” regain their smiles.

Why Does Jawbone Loss Happen?

• Tooth loss: When a tooth is extracted or lost, the jawbone begins to resorb (shrink) within months
• Long-term denture use: Dentures sit on the gum surface but don’t stimulate the bone, leading to progressive bone loss
• Periodontal disease: Advanced gum disease destroys the bone supporting your teeth
• Trauma or injury: Accidents can damage jawbone structure

Types of Bone Grafts

• Socket Preservation: Performed immediately after tooth extraction to prevent bone loss
• Ridge Augmentation: Rebuilds the width or height of the jawbone ridge
• Sinus Lift: Adds bone to the upper jaw near the sinuses — common for upper back tooth implants
• Block Grafts: Transplants larger sections of bone for significant defects

Bone Graft Materials

Modern bone grafting uses several types of graft material:

• Autograft: Your own bone (gold standard, highest success rate)
• Allograft: Processed human donor bone (very common, highly effective)
• Xenograft: Processed bovine (cow) bone mineral
• Synthetic: Lab-made bone substitute materials

The choice of material depends on the location, extent of bone loss, and your specific needs. Dr. Ostovar will recommend the best option during your consultation.

Recovery & Timeline

Bone grafts typically take 3-6 months to fully integrate with your natural bone before implants can be placed. During this time, the graft material acts as a scaffold for your body to grow new bone. Most patients experience mild soreness for 3-5 days after the procedure.

Ready to learn more? Call (503) 822-0096 to schedule your implant and bone grafting consultation.

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