An implant needs enough bone around it to hold. If a tooth was extracted years ago, the ridge above it has receded — bone that gets no load disappears. This happens fastest in the first year after tooth loss: up to 25% of the width.
When bone is lacking
- The tooth was removed years ago and the space has stayed empty.
- The tooth was lost to periodontitis — the inflammation had already destroyed the bone.
- In the upper jaw the maxillary sinus has dropped low.
- Trauma or a cyst has damaged the bone.
- A long-worn full denture under which the ridge has worn down.
Whether there is enough bone can only be established with a 3D scan. An ordinary radiograph shows height but not width — and an implant needs both.
Bone grafting
The missing volume is rebuilt with graft material that acts as a scaffold — the body grows its own bone into it. The material is covered with a membrane so that soft tissue does not grow in place of bone.
- Bone graft material and membrane kit — from €400
- Autogenous bone graft (the patient’s own bone) — from €100
- Gum surgery with stage 2 or with implant placement — from €150
For a smaller defect, grafting is often done at the same visit as implant placement. For a larger deficit it is done separately and the implant placed 4–9 months later, once the new bone has matured.
Sinus lift
The maxillary sinus sits above the back of the upper jaw. If teeth there have been missing for a long time, the sinus floor drops and only a few millimetres of bone remain for an implant. In a sinus lift the sinus membrane is carefully raised and the resulting space filled with graft material.
It is a routine procedure but requires precision and 3D planning. Healing usually takes 6–9 months, after which the implant can be placed.
How recovery goes
- Swelling peaks on day 2–3, then subsides.
- Cold compress on the first day, soft food for about a week.
- After a sinus lift, no forceful nose blowing and no flying for 2 weeks.
- Smoking is the greatest risk — it impairs blood supply and the grafted bone may not take.
Can it be avoided?
Yes — if the socket is filled with graft material at the time of extraction, most of the bone volume is preserved. That is cheaper and simpler than rebuilding lost bone later. So it is worth saying at the time of extraction whether you are considering an implant in future.
If you have been told an implant is impossible because of bone loss, a 3D scan is worth doing — there is often a solution. Book a consultation at Unidenta in Tallinn.