Dental bone grafting in Irving, TX

Why your jawbone shrinks after losing a tooth

Your jawbone stays strong because your teeth use it. Every time you chew, the roots send pressure into the bone, which keeps it dense. When a tooth is lost, that signal stops and the body begins to reabsorb the ridge. Studies have found it can lose up to about half its width in the first year, with much of that change in the first three months. Dental bone grafting helps stop or reverse that loss.

That shrinkage matters. It can leave too little bone for a dental implant, make a bridge look less natural over the gap, and, when many teeth are missing, loosen dentures and change the shape of the lower face over time.

Signs you might need bone grafting

• You’re having a tooth removed and want an implant later
• A tooth has been missing for months or years
• You were told you don’t have enough bone for an implant
• Your dentures have grown looser over time
• You’ve had gum disease with bone loss
• The gum over a gap looks sunken or caved in

Socket preservation: grafting at the time of extraction

The simplest graft is the one placed the day a tooth comes out. After a gentle tooth extraction, we fill the empty socket with graft material, often cover it with a thin protective membrane, and close the gum with a few stitches. It adds only a little time to the visit, and you heal from both at once.

Socket preservation doesn’t stop all bone change, but it helps maintain the ridge’s height and width. That often means an implant can be placed a few months later without a second, larger graft. For a front tooth, it also helps the final result look natural at the gumline.

Bone grafting for dental implants

If a tooth has been missing for a while, your 3D CBCT scan shows exactly how much bone is left and where. Depending on what we see, a graft may be placed:

• Before the implant, when the area is too thin or too short. The graft heals for several months before the implant goes in.
• At the same time as the implant, when there’s enough bone to hold the implant steady but a small area needs reinforcing.
• Not at all, when your bone is already adequate. A graft isn’t automatic, and we won’t recommend one you don’t need.

Some larger defects, especially in the upper back jaw near the sinus, may call for more involved grafting. If that’s better handled by a periodontist or oral surgeon, we’ll explain why and help with the referral.

What graft materials are made of

Bone graft material works as a scaffold. Over the following months, your own bone grows into it and gradually replaces much of it. Common types include:

• Donor bone from a human tissue bank, screened, cleaned and sterilized
• Animal-derived mineral, usually from cow bone, processed so only the mineral framework remains
• Synthetic materials designed to mimic the mineral in bone
• Your own bone, occasionally used for certain defects

Each has strengths depending on the size and location of the graft. We’ll tell you which material we recommend and why, and you’re always welcome to ask where it comes from.

Healing time

Most people are sore for a few days after a socket graft, about the same as after an extraction alone. You may notice a few small, sand-like granules in your mouth during the first week, which is normal. The gum typically closes over the area within a few weeks.

The bone takes longer. A socket graft commonly needs around three to six months before an implant goes in, and larger grafts can take six months or more. A scan before implant placement confirms the area is ready. Not smoking, following your rinse instructions and keeping pressure off the area all help the graft take.

How gum disease affects bone

Periodontitis, the advanced form of gum disease, quietly destroys the bone that holds teeth in place. Teeth can loosen and eventually be lost, leaving even less bone behind. Diabetes and smoking both speed it up.

Treating the infection comes first. A deep cleaning and good home care help stop the bone loss from progressing, and grafting can then rebuild areas where it’s needed. Learn more about gum disease treatment and how gum disease and diabetes affect each other.

What to expect, step by step

1. 3D scan and exam

   We measure your bone with a CBCT scan and check your gum health to see whether a graft is needed.

2. Plan and estimate

   You get a written plan covering the graft, the implant or other replacement, the expected timing and the cost.

3. Graft placement

   With the area numbed, graft material is placed in the socket or along the ridge, often with a membrane and stitches.

4. Healing

   Over roughly three to six months, your own bone grows into the graft. We check progress along the way.

5. Implant or replacement

   Once the bone is ready, we place the implant or move ahead with your bridge or denture.

Cost, insurance & financing

As a general estimate, a socket preservation graft at the time of an extraction commonly runs from about $300 to $1,000 per site in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. Larger ridge grafts cost more and vary widely.

Your exact cost depends on the size of the area, the material used, whether a membrane is needed, and whether it’s done along with an extraction or implant. We give you a written estimate before treatment. Some PPO plans cover part of grafting, and financing through Cherry, Affirm or CareCredit is available, subject to approval. Our guide to dental implant costs in Irving shows how grafting fits into the total, and our insurance and financing page has more.