Bone grafting and sinus lift for dental implants
Some implant plans include a step to add bone before or during placement. This page explains why, what the procedures involve, and how they change the plan.
Why bone matters for an implant
An implant needs enough bone around it, in height and width, to be placed in a stable position. After a tooth is removed, the bone that held it often changes shape over time, and gum disease or an infection can also reduce it. Where there is not enough bone in the planned position, the dentist may discuss adding bone, choosing a different position or size of implant, or a different treatment.
Whether grafting is needed is decided from the examination and imaging, usually a 3D scan. It is a clinical judgement for the treating dentist and not something this website can assess.
Types of bone grafting
There are several kinds of procedure. The names you are likely to hear are:
- Socket preservation. Graft material is placed in the socket when a tooth is removed, to help keep the shape of the bone for a later implant.
- Ridge augmentation. Bone is added to the width or height of the jaw where it has narrowed.
- Sinus lift. In the upper back jaw, the floor of the sinus (the air space above the back teeth) is gently raised and bone material placed beneath it, to make room for an implant.
Graft material can come from your own body, from a donor, from an animal source, or be synthetic. Many grafts are covered with a membrane while they heal. Ask the dentist which material they propose and why, especially if you have dietary, religious or personal preferences about animal-derived products.
How grafting changes the plan
Sometimes a graft is placed at the same appointment as the implant. In other cases the graft is left to heal first, often for several months, and the implant is placed afterwards. That second route adds an appointment and lengthens the overall timeline.
A graft is usually a separate line on a treatment plan, with its own fee. If one quote includes grafting and another does not, the two are not describing the same treatment. Our guide to bone grafting and sinus lifts explained covers the questions to ask.
What influences the cost
We do not publish prices. The practice that assesses you gives you a treatment plan and a quote for your case. These are the factors that usually make the difference:
- Which procedure is planned: socket preservation, ridge augmentation or a sinus lift.
- How much material is needed, and its type.
- Whether a membrane is used.
- Whether the graft is done with the implant or as a separate stage.
- Imaging before and after the graft.
- Sedation, if used.
- Medical aid rules on grafting, which can differ from the rules on implants.
Our guide to what influences a dental implant quote explains how to read an itemised plan.
Frequently asked questions
Does everyone need a bone graft before an implant?
No. Many implants are placed without grafting. Whether a graft is needed depends on the bone at that site, which a dentist assesses from an examination and imaging.
What is a sinus lift?
A procedure in the upper back jaw that raises the floor of the sinus and places bone material under it, to make room for an implant.
Does grafting make treatment longer?
It can. If the graft must heal before the implant is placed, it often adds several months. Sometimes the graft and implant are done together.
Where does graft material come from?
It can come from your own body, a donor, an animal source, or be synthetic. Ask the dentist what they propose and why.