Bone Grafting in Lady Lake
When a tooth is lost, the jawbone that once held its root begins to shrink. That change is quiet at first, but over months and years it can narrow the ridge, soften the bone's density, and leave too little structure to anchor an implant or support a stable denture. Bone grafting is how we rebuild that foundation — adding grafting material to the site so your body can form new, healthy bone where it's needed most. For patients in Lady Lake, it's often the step that makes the rest of a treatment plan possible.
A bone graft places material into a deficient area of the jaw, where it acts as a scaffold. Over the healing period, your own bone cells migrate into that scaffold and gradually replace it with living bone. The result is a ridge with enough width, height, and density to hold a dental implant securely or to give a denture a more even, comfortable base.
Grafting takes several forms depending on what the site needs. A socket preservation graft is placed at the time of an extraction, filling the empty socket right away so the ridge holds its shape instead of collapsing inward. A ridge augmentation rebuilds an area where bone has already been lost, often years after a tooth was removed. A sinus lift addresses the upper back jaw, where the sinus cavity can sit too close to the ridge to allow implant placement; the sinus membrane is gently lifted and graft material is added beneath it. We also perform periodontal regeneration for bone lost to gum disease, rebuilding support around teeth that are still worth saving.
Most Lady Lake patients who come to us for grafting fall into a few familiar situations. Some are preparing for a single implant and have been told the site is too thin. Others are planning full arch dental implants, All-on-4, or implant-supported dentures and need the arch evaluated carefully before anything is placed. Some have worn a removable denture for years and noticed it fits more loosely each season — a sign the ridge beneath it has continued to resorb.
Candidacy depends on the condition of the site, the health of your gums, and your overall health history. Active gum disease is treated first, because new bone won't thrive in an inflamed environment; that may mean scaling and root planing or periodontal therapy before grafting is scheduled. We review your medications and medical conditions, take imaging to see the bone in three dimensions, and talk through whether a graft is truly needed or whether a different tooth replacement approach would serve you better.
What the Procedure and Recovery Involve
Grafting is typically an outpatient visit. The area is thoroughly numbed, the site is accessed and cleaned, graft material is packed into place, and a protective membrane is often positioned over it before the gum tissue is closed with sutures. If a tooth is being removed the same day, the extraction and the graft happen in one appointment, which spares you a second procedure. For patients who feel uneasy about dental work, we offer nitrous oxide sedation and oral sedation so the visit stays calm and comfortable.
Here is what Lady Lake patients can generally expect around a grafting appointment:
- Soreness and swelling for a few days, managed with ice and the pain relief plan we provide
- A soft-food diet for a short period, avoiding chewing directly over the graft
- Gentle oral hygiene around the site, with specific rinsing instructions
- A follow-up visit to check healing and remove sutures if needed
- A healing period of several months before an implant is placed, so the new bone can mature
Healing time varies with the size of the graft. A small socket preservation site integrates faster than a large ridge augmentation or sinus lift. We stage your appointments so you always know what comes next.
Convenient Care for Lady Lake Patients
Our office is in Ocala, and we've cared for families throughout the region for more than 30 years, including many from Lady Lake, Oxford, Summerfield, and The Villages. Because we handle grafting, implant placement, restorative work, and our on-site dental lab under one roof, you aren't sent from office to office between phases — Dr. Hussein Salifu and Dr. Marco Geris coordinate the whole plan. No referral is needed to schedule a surgical or periodontal consultation with us.
Insurance, Payment, and Getting Started
We accept all major PPO insurance plans and file claims as a general practice. Self-pay and cash patients are welcome, and we offer flexible payment plans so a multi-stage treatment can be spread out sensibly.
Call us to arrange a consultation. We'll image the area, explain exactly which type of graft is indicated, and give you a clear written breakdown of the plan and costs before anything begins.