Implantology

Bone grafting is a surgical procedure that augments or regenerates jawbone volume to create a solid foundation for dental implant placement. When teeth are lost or extracted, the surrounding alveolar bone begins to resorb — a natural process that can reduce bone height and width by up to 50% within the first year. Patients with insufficient bone density or volume may require bone grafting before implants can be safely and successfully placed.

Several types of bone grafting techniques are utilised in implant dentistry. Socket preservation grafting is performed immediately after tooth extraction to maintain bone volume. Ridge augmentation involves building up the width or height of a deficient alveolar ridge. Sinus lift (sinus floor elevation) raises the floor of the maxillary sinus to create space for implants in the upper back jaw. Block bone grafts, taken from donor sites such as the chin or ramus of the mandible, are used for more extensive reconstruction.

The grafting material may be autogenous (harvested from the patient's own body), allograft (processed human donor bone), xenograft (bovine or porcine derived, such as Bio-Oss), or alloplastic (synthetic materials such as hydroxyapatite or beta-tricalcium phosphate). The choice of material depends on the defect size, location, and the surgeon's clinical judgment.

During the procedure, performed under local anaesthesia or sedation, the surgeon exposes the deficient bone area, places the grafting material, and often covers it with a resorbable collagen membrane to guide bone regeneration. The graft site heals over three to four months as the patient's own bone cells infiltrate and replace the grafting material through a process called creeping substitution.

Istanbul's oral surgery centres offer the full spectrum of bone grafting procedures using internationally sourced biomaterials from Geistlich, Straumann, and Zimmer Biomet. Experienced maxillofacial surgeons, many trained in Germany, Switzerland, or the UK, perform these procedures with advanced techniques including PRF (platelet-rich fibrin) to accelerate healing. The significant cost advantage — typically 50–70% below UK prices — makes Istanbul an attractive destination for patients requiring bone augmentation prior to implant treatment.