Missing teeth don’t just affect your smile. They affect your bone. Trimble Dental offers in-house bone grafting to restore the foundation your jaw needs for lasting results.
Bone grafting is a procedure that rebuilds or preserves jawbone volume that has been lost or is at risk of deteriorating. When a tooth is removed, the jawbone beneath the empty socket begins to shrink almost immediately through a process called bone resorption. Over time, this can compromise the height and width of the jaw to the point where implants cannot be placed without first restoring the bone.
A bone graft introduces biocompatible material into the deficient area, where it integrates with the existing bone and creates new volume. At Trimble Dental, the team performs bone grafting procedures entirely in-house, with no referral to an outside oral surgeon.
Benefit 1: Preserving Implant Candidacy
Many patients who are told they do not have enough bone for implants are actually candidates after bone grafting. Restoring lost volume opens the door to permanent tooth replacement that would otherwise be unavailable.
Benefit 2: Protecting Facial Structure
Jawbone loss over time causes the lower face to change shape, producing a sunken, aged appearance. Bone grafting, particularly socket preservation at the time of extraction, slows or prevents this progression.
Benefit 3: Improving Implant Success Rates
Implants placed in well-grafted, high-density bone are more likely to integrate successfully and last longer than implants placed in compromised bone. Bone grafting before or alongside implant placement improves long-term outcomes.
Benefit 4: Preventing Complications After Extraction
Socket preservation grafting at the time of tooth removal prevents the immediate bone loss that otherwise begins within hours. Planning ahead at extraction time protects the patient’s options for the future.
Benefit 5: All Handled In-House
The Trimble Dental team performs every grafting procedure at Trimble Dental, so patients never need to coordinate care between multiple offices or providers.
Step 1: Consultation and Imaging
The Trimble Dental team in Menomonie evaluates your current bone levels using cone beam CT imaging and determines the type, volume, and location of grafting that will produce the best foundation for your planned restoration.
Step 2: Graft Material Selection
The Trimble Dental team selects the most appropriate bone graft material for your specific situation. Options include processed donor bone and biocompatible synthetic materials. Your provider explains the material used, why it was chosen, and what the integration process looks like.
Step 3: The Grafting Procedure
The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, with sedation available. For socket preservation, grafting is completed at the same appointment as the tooth extraction. For ridge augmentation or sinus lifts, it is scheduled as a standalone procedure.
Step 4: Healing and Integration
The graft material integrates with the surrounding bone over a period of several months. The Trimble Dental team monitors healing with follow-up appointments and imaging to confirm that adequate bone volume has been achieved before proceeding to implant placement.
Step 5: Implant Placement
Once healing is confirmed, the Trimble Dental team moves forward with implant surgery, also performed in-house, using the newly restored bone as the foundation for a permanent, stable result.
Trimble Dental has served the Menomonie area for over 60 years. Here’s what our patients say about their experience.
The Trimble Dental team is happy to review your bone levels and explain exactly what grafting would involve for your specific situation.
Healing time varies depending on the type and volume of grafting performed. Socket preservation grafts typically require three to six months of healing. Larger ridge augmentation or sinus lift procedures may require more time. The Trimble Dental team will give you a realistic timeline during your consultation based on your specific case.
The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, and sedation is available for patients who prefer it. Post-procedure soreness and swelling are normal and typically manageable with over-the-counter medication. The Trimble Dental team provides clear post-operative instructions and is available to address any concerns during the healing period.
Not always. Some patients have adequate bone volume for implant placement without any grafting. The Trimble Dental team evaluates each patient’s bone levels with 3D imaging and will only recommend grafting when it is genuinely necessary to achieve a safe, successful implant outcome.
A socket preservation graft is placed at the time a tooth is extracted, filling the empty socket to prevent immediate bone resorption. It is the simplest and most cost-effective way to maintain bone volume for patients who plan to receive an implant later. The Trimble Dental team recommends it routinely for extractions where a future implant is anticipated.
