Bone Grafting in Silver Springs
When a tooth is removed or lost, the jawbone that once held its root begins to shrink. Within the first year after an extraction, that ridge of bone can narrow and flatten noticeably, and the change often continues quietly for years. Bone grafting is how we rebuild that foundation — adding grafting material to a thin or hollowed area of the jaw so it can regenerate enough healthy bone to support an implant, stabilize a denture, or protect the teeth still standing nearby. For our patients in Silver Springs, it's often the step that makes the rest of a treatment plan possible.
A graft works by giving your body a scaffold. We place grafting material into the deficient site, cover and protect it, and over the following months your own bone cells migrate in, replace the material, and mature into solid, living bone. The result isn't a patch or a filler — it's your own jaw, restored to a volume and density that can carry a dental implant or hold a denture securely.
We use grafting in several distinct situations. Socket preservation happens at the same visit as an extraction: once the tooth is out, we place material directly into the empty socket to limit the collapse that normally follows. 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 tends to expand downward after tooth loss and leaves too little vertical bone for an implant. We also perform grafting as part of periodontal regeneration, rebuilding bone destroyed by advanced gum disease so that teeth with deep defects have a better chance of staying put.
Most Silver Springs patients who come to us about grafting fall into one of a few groups. Some are planning an implant and were told elsewhere that there isn't enough bone to place one. Some are having a tooth extracted and want to keep their options open for the future. Others wear a lower denture that has grown loose over the years because the ridge beneath it has worn down. And some have been treated for periodontal disease and need the bone support around remaining teeth rebuilt.
Candidacy depends on what we see on your exam and imaging, your general health, and your goals for the finished result. Grafting also pairs naturally with other care we provide, so you aren't bounced between offices — we place dental implants, perform simple and surgical extractions, treat gum disease, and build full-arch and implant-supported restorations under one roof in Ocala, a short drive for Silver Springs families. We see all ages, accept patients without a referral, and keep emergency appointments available when a tooth breaks or an injury can't wait.
What the Process Looks Like
Your first visit is an evaluation: imaging, a look at the bone and gum tissue, a discussion of whether the goal is an implant, a denture, or saving a tooth. From there we map out a sequence and timeline, because grafting is rarely a single appointment — it's a staged process built around healing.
The procedure itself is done with local anesthesia. For patients who feel uneasy about surgery, we offer nitrous oxide sedation and oral sedation. We open the site, place and shape the grafting material, and close the tissue. Here's what to expect around that day:
- Swelling and tenderness for the first few days, managed with ice and the medication instructions we provide
- A soft-food diet for a short period, with specific guidance on what to avoid
- Careful, gentle cleaning around the site — we'll show you exactly how
- A follow-up visit to check healing and confirm the tissue is closing well
- A healing period of several months before implant placement or the final restoration
Aftercare and the Months That Follow
The weeks right after surgery matter most. Avoiding smoking, skipping straws, and not disturbing the site give the graft the stable environment it needs. Our hygienists help you keep the surrounding teeth clean without disrupting healing, and we schedule periodontal maintenance when gum disease was part of the picture.
Once the graft has matured, we re-evaluate before moving forward. Because we have an on-site dental lab, the restorative phase that follows — crowns, bridges, dentures, denture repairs — moves faster and stays in our hands.
Insurance, Payment, and Getting Started
We accept all major PPO insurance plans and file claims as a general practice. We also welcome self-pay and cash patients, and we offer flexible payment plans so a staged treatment can be budgeted over time rather than all at once. We'll go over estimated costs before anything begins.
Ocala Dental Care has served this region for over 30 years, and Dr. Hussein Salifu and Dr. Marco Geris treat Silver Springs patients every week. If you've been told you lack the bone for an implant, or you're facing an extraction and want to protect what's there, give us a call.