Bone grafting and sinus lifts, without the panic

Why you might need bone, what grafting really involves, and why it is more routine than it sounds.

• Why you lose jawbone after losing a toothWhen a tooth goes, the bone that held it slowly melts away. Here is the real biology of why jawbone shrinks after tooth loss — and what it means for implants.
• Socket preservation: protecting the bone right after extractionPlacing a small graft in the socket the moment a tooth comes out can save the bone you would otherwise lose. Here is what socket preservation is and why it helps.
• Dental bone grafting explained (guided bone regeneration)A bone graft rebuilds jawbone so an implant has something solid to anchor into. Here is how guided bone regeneration really works — in plain, unhurried language.
• The sinus lift, explained without the scareA sinus lift makes room for an implant in the upper back jaw by gently raising the sinus floor and adding bone beneath it. Here is what really happens, calmly.
• Where bone graft material comes from — and is it safe?Bone graft can come from you, a donor, an animal source, or a lab. Here is an honest look at each type, how it is screened and sterilized, and why it is safe.
• How bone grafting stretches your implant timelineA graft adds healing months before your implant can go in. Here is an honest map of how socket, ridge, and sinus grafts change the timeline — and why the wait pays off.
• Signs of a failed bone graft (and what's normal)Most bone grafts heal quietly and well. Here is an honest guide to what is normal after a graft, the warning signs that mean call the office, and what failure really involves.