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Bone Grafting & Sinus Lift in Columbus, OH
After a tooth is lost, the jawbone underneath slowly shrinks, sometimes by a quarter or more in the first year. Bone grafting rebuilds that volume so a dental implant has a strong, lasting foundation, and it preserves the shape of your jaw and facial profile in the meantime. Many Columbus patients who were told years ago that they did not have enough bone for implants become candidates after grafting. Grafting sounds intimidating, but most procedures add only minutes to a visit, and the materials used have decades of safe use behind them.
What to know about bone grafting / sinus lift
Socket preservation
Placing graft material in the socket during the same visit as an extraction slows bone loss and often avoids a bigger graft later. It adds little time to the appointment and protects your future options.
Sinus lifts for upper back teeth
When the sinus sits low in the upper jaw, a sinus lift gently raises the sinus membrane and adds bone height underneath, so implants can be placed safely in the upper molars.
Materials explained upfront
Options include your own bone, donor bone, and synthetic materials. Your surgeon explains the trade-offs, healing time, and cost of each for your specific case before you decide.
Who is this for?
- Implant patients whose 3D scan shows thin or low bone volume
- Anyone having a tooth extracted who plans an implant later
- Patients who lost teeth years ago and were told implants were not possible
What does it cost in Columbus?
$400 to $1,200 per graft site (self-pay). Sinus lifts are higher and quoted after imaging. Grafting is often bundled with extraction at a lower combined fee, and you will see it itemized in your written estimate.
Sedation and surgery decisions are made with your surgeon at your consultation, based on your health history and exam.
Your visit, step by step
Evaluation and imaging: a 3D scan measures exactly how much bone is present and where it is missing. Your surgeon shows you the scan and explains which grafting approach fits your case.
Grafting day: the procedure is done under local anesthesia, with sedation available. Socket preservation adds only minutes to an extraction visit; sinus lifts take longer and are scheduled as their own appointment.
Healing checks: brief follow-up visits track how the graft is integrating. Imaging at the end of healing confirms the site is ready for an implant.
Recovery
Expect mild soreness for a few days, managed with over-the-counter medication. You can usually return to work the next day. The graft itself then needs three to six months to turn into solid, implant-ready bone, depending on the size of the site. During that time there is little you need to do besides keep follow-up appointments and avoid disturbing the area.
Risks, discussed honestly
Grafting is calm, low-drama surgery, but it asks your body to accept new material, and occasionally the graft does not fully integrate, which means more healing time or, rarely, a second graft. With sinus lifts there is a specific consideration: the thin sinus membrane can tear during the lift. Small tears are repaired on the spot; a larger one can mean postponing the graft to another visit. Infection is possible with any graft, which is why the aftercare instructions and the follow-up schedule matter as much as the surgery itself.
What happens if you wait?
Skipping grafting when it is recommended usually leads to one of two outcomes: the implant cannot be placed safely, or it goes into thin bone with a higher long-term risk of failure. Bone does not regenerate on its own once significant loss has occurred, so waiting does not improve the situation. The grafting appointment itself is short compared with the months of healing that follow, and combining it with an extraction saves you a second surgery entirely. Most patients who were anxious about grafting tell us afterward that the anticipation was worse than the procedure.
Frequently asked questions
Related treatments
Ready to talk it over?
One consultation gives you a scan, a plan, and a real number for bone grafting / sinus lift. Then you decide. No pressure, no obligation.
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