- 27 Village Center Drive, Suite A-5, Reading, PA 19607
Bone Grafting Before Dental Implants in Reading, PA
When a tooth is lost to gum disease, an injury or a tooth extraction, the jawbone underneath starts to shrink. To hold firmly, your dental implants need enough bone height and width, and a bone graft rebuilds what has been lost. Under the upper back teeth, a sinus lift adds height where the sinus sits low. Dr. Amanda Clemente, DMD MS, plans and performs bone grafts and sinus lifts at our Reading office. Your implant is placed in the same practice, so one periodontist guides you from first X-ray to implant placement.
Do I need a bone graft before getting a dental implant?
Not always. An implant needs enough healthy jawbone around it to stay stable. Bone often shrinks after a tooth is lost, and gum disease, infection or injury can wear it away too. If your X-rays or scan show the bone is too thin or too short to hold an implant, a bone graft rebuilds the area first.
Sometimes the graft is placed at the same visit as the extraction or the implant. In other cases it heals on its own first. Dr. Amanda Clemente will review your imaging at your consultation and explain which approach fits your mouth.
What is a sinus lift, and how is it different from a bone graft?
A sinus lift is a type of bone graft for the upper back jaw. The upper molars and premolars sit just below the maxillary sinuses. After those teeth are lost, the bone underneath often shrinks and the sinus can sit lower, leaving too little height for an implant.
During a sinus lift, the sinus membrane is gently raised and graft material is placed beneath it to add height. A standard bone graft adds width or height elsewhere in the jaw. Both are done in our Reading office, and some patients need both before their implants.
How long does a bone graft take to heal before an implant?
It depends on the size and type of graft and where it is placed. A small graft placed when a tooth is removed usually heals faster than a larger graft or a sinus lift. Typical healing time before implant placement at our office: [add: typical healing range in months for socket grafts, larger ridge grafts and sinus lifts].
Once the implant is in, the jawbone needs roughly three to six months to grow around it. This can take longer when a graft or sinus lift was done. Your written treatment plan will show the timeline for your own case before any work begins.
Does a dental bone graft hurt?
The area is numbed for the procedure, so most patients feel pressure rather than pain. [add: sedation options offered for bone and sinus grafting, if any].
Afterward, expect some swelling and tenderness for a few days, similar to recovery after implant placement. Soft foods, rest and the aftercare instructions we give you help the site settle.
Call us if any of these happen:
- Pain gets worse instead of better after the first few days
- You have heavy bleeding
- You notice signs of infection
Bone Grafting Services in Reading, PA
Keystone Periodontal Group performs bone grafts and sinus lifts at our office at 27 Village Center Drive, Suite A-5, Reading, PA 19607. Dr. Amanda Clemente, DMD MS, handles the consultation, the grafting and the implant placement, so your care stays in one practice from start to finish.
Patients come from across Berks County, including Wyomissing and Sinking Spring. Many are referred by their general dentist, and you can also contact us directly. Call (610) 777-7002 to book a consultation.
Bone Grafting Options for Implants
The right graft depends on where the bone is missing and how much has been lost. Dr. Clemente will recommend one of these after reviewing your X-rays:
- Socket preservation: graft material is placed right after an extraction so the bone keeps its shape while the site heals.
- Ridge augmentation: rebuilds the width or height of the jaw where a tooth has been missing for some time.
- Guided bone regeneration: a protective membrane covers the graft so new bone can fill in without gum tissue growing into the space.
- Sinus lift: adds bone under the sinus for upper molar and premolar implants.
Graft materials we use: [add: graft materials the practice uses, e.g. donor, synthetic or the patient’s own bone]
Sinus Lift for Upper Back Teeth
The upper molars and premolars sit just below the maxillary sinuses. Once those teeth are gone, the bone beneath them thins and the sinus floor can drop, leaving too little height for an implant. A sinus lift gently raises the sinus membrane and places graft material underneath it.
If there is already some bone height, the implant can sometimes go in at the same visit as the lift. When the bone is very thin, the graft heals first and the implant is placed later. Sinus lifts are done here in our Reading office, so you don’t need a separate referral to an oral surgeon.
[add: confirm sinus lift techniques offered, e.g. lateral window and/or crestal approach]
Who Needs a Bone Graft?
You may be a candidate for a bone graft or sinus lift if:
- A tooth has been missing for several months or years
- Your dentist has said there isn’t enough bone for an implant
- You lost teeth or bone to gum disease, an injury or an infection
- Your denture has become loose as the jaw has shrunk
- You are replacing upper back teeth
Most healthy adults can have grafting. Smoking, uncontrolled diabetes and some medications can slow healing, and active gum disease is treated first. At your consultation, we examine your gums and take imaging to measure the bone. [add: confirm whether 3D/CBCT scans are taken in-office]
Healing After a Bone Graft or Sinus Lift
Most patients have mild swelling and tenderness for a few days. Soft foods, careful cleaning as instructed and avoiding smoking help the site settle. After a sinus lift, you’ll be asked not to blow your nose hard or sneeze with your mouth closed for a couple of weeks so the graft stays in place.
The graft then matures as your own bone grows into it. This usually takes several months, and often longer after a sinus lift, before the implant is placed. Dr. Clemente checks the site and confirms when it is ready. Our bone graft healing timeline explains each stage in more detail.
Bone Graft Cost and Insurance
The fee for a bone graft depends on the type of graft, how much bone needs to be rebuilt and whether it is done with an extraction or an implant. You receive a written treatment plan with the full fee before any work begins, so you know the cost of the graft and the implant together.
Insurance: [add: whether dental plans typically cover part of bone grafting and which plans the practice works with]
Financing: [add: payment plans or financing offered]
Bone Grafting for Reading and Berks County Patients
Our office at 27 Village Center Drive, Suite A-5, Reading, PA 19607 sees bone graft and sinus lift patients from across Berks County, including Wyomissing, Sinking Spring, Birdsboro and Fleetwood.
Dr. Clemente handles the extraction, the graft and the implant placement in one practice, so your care stays with one team from start to finish. Many patients are referred by their general dentist, and you’re also welcome to contact us directly.
Call (610) 777-7002 to book a bone graft consultation.
Rebuilding Jawbone So Your Implant Stays Stable
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