Bone grafting and sinus lifts

You won’t know for sure without a consultation with your implant surgeon in our specialist practice, which is £175. We examine your case and take digital scans, X-rays and images to find the best course of treatment. Many people without enough bone for implants can be treated once the bone has been assessed in three dimensions and rebuilt.

An autogenous bone graft uses your own bone, taken from the ramus at the back of the lower jaw or from the chin, and moves it to where the implant will go. Because it is your own living bone, it holds its shape well while it heals. It is the basis of the Khoury technique.

As well as your own bone, grafts can use allograft (human donor bone from a tissue bank), xenograft (bone of animal origin, processed to leave only the mineral scaffold) or alloplast (synthetic material such as bioactive glass). Over time, the body gradually replaces the graft with its own bone. The choice depends on your case and on your preference.

Sometimes. With a sinus lift, the implant can sometimes be placed at the same appointment; otherwise, it follows 4 to 6 months later. The Khoury technique is always staged, with the implant placed about three months after the graft. We will tell you which applies at your assessment.

At Neyo Dental Implants, we carry out sinus lifts through a lateral window approach. A small opening is made in the side wall of the sinus, the sinus lining is gently lifted, and graft material is placed in the space beneath it. A resorbable membrane covers the window while it heals. The implant is sometimes placed at the same appointment, or 4 to 6 months later.

Published research on dental implants in general reports around 96% of implants are still in place after ten years (Howe et al., Journal of Dentistry, 2019). In grafted bone, the result depends on the quality of the new bone, gum health and smoking, which is why we let the graft mature before placing the implant.