A bone graft adds bone or bone-like material where your jaw is too thin or too short to hold an implant securely. You are more likely to need one if the tooth was lost long ago, if infection or gum disease destroyed bone, or for upper back teeth. Whether you need it is decided from X-rays and usually a CBCT scan, not guessed.
An implant needs bone all around it, rather like a fence post needs firm soil on every side. When a tooth is lost, the bone that held it starts to shrink, quickly in the first few months and slowly for years after. Infection, gum disease and long-term denture wear speed this up. A bone graft rebuilds the missing volume so an implant can be placed in the right position and stay healthy.
The graft is usually covered with a thin protective membrane and the gum is stitched over it.
You cannot tell by looking in the mirror. Your dentist starts with an examination and a digital X-ray, which shows bone height between the teeth. For most implant cases a CBCT scan (a low-dose three-dimensional X-ray) may be advised, because it shows width as well as height, and nerves and the sinus nearby. We do not do CBCT in-clinic; we will tell you where it is done and what it costs. Planning from 3D imaging is a field in itself; see our oral radiology department.
Clues that raise the chance of grafting: the tooth has been missing for years, it was removed because of a large abscess, you have had gum disease, or you have worn a denture over the area.
A graft is done under local anaesthetic, often in the same sitting as the implant or extraction. Swelling and soreness are usually a little more than after a plain implant, settling over about a week. Healing time varies: small grafts placed with the implant add little or no waiting, while larger grafts usually need several months before the implant goes in. Follow the post-surgery instructions carefully, as tobacco and poor cleaning are the main reasons grafts fail.
Our current published fee for a bone graft is ₹15,000 per site, and only if your scan shows it is needed; see our online store. Your final cost is confirmed after examination and imaging. If a graft is advised, ask how much bone is missing and what would happen without it. Sometimes a shorter implant or a different position avoids grafting, and sometimes a bridge is the simpler answer. Your specialist, usually from our oral and maxillofacial surgery department, will explain which applies to you.
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