Bone grafting and sinus lifts
After a tooth is lost, the bone that held it slowly shrinks. If your CT scan shows the bone is too thin or too short for an implant, a graft can often rebuild it. Sometimes it's done the same day as the implant. Sometimes it needs a few months of healing first.
- Visits
- 2 to 4 visits for the graft
- Time to final teeth
- Same day as the implant, or 3 to 9 months of healing first
- Comfort
- Numbing, with sedation available
- Example price
- $450 to $4,500 per site
- 1. Thin ridge: too narrow for an implant
- 2. Graft material fills the gap
- 3. A membrane covers and protects it
- 4. Where the implant goes once it heals
Illustration of a thin jaw ridge, then the same ridge after a graft, cross-section. Not a patient.
Who it's for
This may be worth asking about if
- A tooth has been missing for a year or more
- Another office said you don't have enough bone for implants
- An upper back tooth is missing close to the sinus
- A tooth is coming out and you want to keep the option of an implant
- You've worn a denture for many years
In plain words
What bone grafting is
A socket graft fills the hole right after a tooth is removed, so the bone doesn't collapse. A ridge graft widens or builds up the jaw where bone has already shrunk. A sinus lift gently raises the floor of the sinus above the upper back teeth and adds bone under it.
Graft material can come from your own body, from a tissue bank (processed and sterilized human bone), from a purified animal source, or be made in a lab. Each has pros and cons, and we'll tell you which we suggest and why.
The graft is covered with a thin membrane and the gum is closed over it. Over the following months your body replaces the graft with your own bone.
How it works
2 to 4 visits for the graft, step by step
Typical timing. Bone, healing and grafting can change it, and your plan gives your own dates.
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Phase 1 Day 1
CT scan shows the bone
We measure height and width where the implant would go, and look at the sinus and nerve.
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Phase 2 Graft day
The graft is placed
30 to 90 minutes with numbing, with sedation if you prefer.
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Phase 3 3 to 9 months
Healing
Your body turns the graft into bone. Smaller grafts heal faster.
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Phase 4 Check scan
Make sure it took
A short follow-up scan shows whether the new bone is ready.
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Phase 5 Implant day
The implant goes in
Into bone that wasn't there before.
Is it right for you?
A CT scan and an exam decide
We can't tell from a website whether this treatment fits you, and nobody should. At your consult a specialist looks at your 3D scan, your gums and your health history, then tells you what is and isn't possible.
The consult is $95, includes the scan, and is credited to treatment if you go ahead. A 20-minute video chat first is free.
What we look at
- A CT scan shows exactly how much bone is missing
- Not smoking, or cutting back a lot, gives a graft its best chance
- Healthy sinuses for a sinus lift; chronic sinus problems are checked first
- Well-managed diabetes and a medicine review
Example prices
What bone grafting typically costs
Examples in USD, not quotes. Your written price comes after the CT scan and exam.
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Socket graft
Placed right after a tooth is removed
$450 to $900 per site
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Ridge graft
Widening or building up a shrunken jaw
$900 to $2,800 per site
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Sinus lift, done with the implant
When a few millimeters are needed
$650 to $1,400 per side
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Sinus lift, done before the implant
When more height is needed
$2,000 to $4,500 per side
Included in the example price
- Graft material and membrane
- A follow-up scan to check the bone
- Post-op checks and a direct line to your surgeon
What can change the price
- How much bone is needed
- The graft material
- One site or several
- Sedation
Risks, said plainly
What can go wrong
None of these are common. All of them are possible, and you should hear about them before you decide, not after.
How long it lasts
Grafted bone that heals well becomes part of your jaw. Some grafts don't take fully and need a second try.
- The graft doesn't take
- Part or all of a graft can fail to turn into bone. It may need to be redone.
- Infection
- Treated with cleaning and antibiotics; we check the site after a week.
- Swelling and bruising
- Common for a few days, especially after a ridge graft or sinus lift.
- Sinus lining tear
- During a sinus lift, the thin sinus lining can tear. It is usually repaired at the time and heals.
- Membrane showing through
- Sometimes the membrane pokes through the gum while healing and needs a little extra care.
Questions people ask
All questions and the glossaryWhere does the bone come from?
It can be your own, from a tissue bank, from a purified animal source, or made in a lab. We explain the choice we suggest at your consult, and you can ask for an alternative.
Does a sinus lift hurt?
It's done with numbing, so you feel pressure rather than pain. Afterward, expect swelling and some stuffiness for a few days. You'll avoid blowing your nose hard for about two weeks.
Can the graft and implant happen on the same day?
Often, for small grafts. Larger ones need to heal first. The CT scan tells us which, and we'll explain it before you decide.
Often considered alongside
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Single-tooth implants
One tooth missing or failing
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All-on-4 and full-arch implants
Most teeth failing, or tired of a denture
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Implant dentures (snap-on)
Loose or sore denture
Resources
Things you can do next
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Book a CT scan consult
75 to 90 minutes, $95, credited to treatment if you go ahead.
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See costs and financing
Insurance, paying by phase, and a tool to split a total by month.
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Meet the doctors
Who designs your teeth, who places the implants, and who runs the lab.
Not sure you're a candidate? The scan will tell us.
A CT scan consult takes 75 to 90 minutes. You'll see your own scan, hear every option with example prices, and go home with a plan. No pressure to decide that day.