While the bones in your upper and lower jaws may seem solid, they can resorb due to gum disease, injury, and tooth loss. Once the bone that supports your teeth begins to resorb, it may no longer be suitable to hold dental implants.

But bone grafts save teeth when the supporting bone in the jaw becomes compromised and can no longer provide a solid base for the teeth. Bone grafting materials are routinely placed in the tooth socket as soon as a tooth is extracted. They are also commonly used in preparation for dental implant placement.

Dr. Oh at Westar Dental provides bone grafting services. After making an incision in the gums, he accesses the damaged bone beneath and fills it with a grafting material, usually made of processed bone minerals that encourage your own bones to regenerate.