Why bone goes missing
After a tooth is lost, the jawbone is no longer used at that spot. It gradually loses density and height. The longer the tooth has been missing, the more marked that resorption is.
It is not an abnormality but an expected change. It explains why the same situation is not treated the same way at six months and at ten years.
What a bone graft is
A bone graft restores the bone volume needed to place an implant. It rebuilds a firm, stable base, which is the condition for implant treatment to succeed.
During the procedure, graft material is positioned over the deficient part, sometimes protected by a membrane. A healing phase of several months then lets the bone regenerate.
And the sinus lift?
In the upper jaw, in the molar region, the maxillary sinus sometimes limits the height of bone available. Raising the sinus floor, known as a sinus lift, recovers that height.
It is a variant of grafting, suited to that particular area. It is planned in the same way, from three-dimensional imaging.
Is it always needed?
No. A graft is proposed only when the bone available is not enough to hold the implant steady. The need is determined by the clinical examination and by imaging, not by eye.
Depending on the situation, it is done before placing the implant, or during the same procedure.
Insufficient bone is a point to watch, not a permanent contraindication. That is precisely what the prior assessment exists to establish.
This text is general information. It is neither a diagnosis nor a prescription, and it does not replace a clinical examination. Only an assessment can say what suits your situation.
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