Dental implants
Implant Dentistry
Bone Grafting in Turkey
Bone Grafting in Turkey: socket preservation, ridge augmentation, graft materials and membranes, and the healing time usually needed before implants.
- Free consultation
- VIP airport transfer
- Hotel stay included
Free · no obligation
Get a free consultation
Leave your name and number — a coordinator replies personally.
What is bone grafting?
Dental bone grafting adds bone or a bone substitute to an area of the jaw that has become too thin or too low to hold an implant securely. After a tooth is lost, the ridge of bone that held its root gradually shrinks, and gum disease, infection, trauma or years of wearing a denture can speed this up. The graft acts as a scaffold: over the following months your own bone grows into it and gradually remodels the area, so that an implant can later be placed where the final tooth needs to be.
Grafting covers a range of procedures. Socket preservation fills the space left by an extracted tooth to limit shrinkage while the site heals. Ridge augmentation rebuilds width or height along a ridge that has already resorbed, using small particles of graft material or, for larger defects, a block of bone fixed in place. The material may be your own bone (autograft), processed donor bone (allograft), processed animal-derived bone (xenograft) or a synthetic substitute. A protective membrane is often laid over the graft to keep gum tissue out while bone forms underneath.
Many implant patients need no grafting at all; a cone-beam CT scan shows whether there is enough bone at each planned site. A sinus lift is a related but separate procedure used only in the upper back jaw, where height is gained beneath the sinus floor, and it has its own page. The availability of grafting procedures at our clinic is confirmed during your consultation.
What it can help with
- Limit ridge shrinkage after a tooth is removed
- Restore bone width or height lost through extraction, disease or injury
- Allow an implant to be placed in a position that suits the final tooth
- Support a more natural gum contour around a future implant crown
Results · before & after
Real smiles, visible change.
Before and after photographs from bone grafting and related treatments at our clinic in Istanbul. Drag the handle to compare each pair.
All dental results
Dental implants
Case 02
Dental implants
Case 03
Dental implants
Case 04
Who is bone grafting for?
The need for grafting is identified from imaging, but whether it is advisable also depends on the shape of the defect, your general health and how well you are likely to heal. Your clinician will explain why a graft is or is not recommended for each site.
Often a good fit
- Adults planning implants who have bone loss at the intended site
- Patients having a tooth removed who may want an implant later
- People with a localised ridge defect after trauma or infection
- Non-smokers, or those prepared to stop smoking during healing
Assessed carefully
- The size, shape and location of the bone defect
- Smoking, which can significantly impair graft healing
- Diabetes control and other conditions that affect healing
- Medicines such as bone-modifying drugs, steroids or anticoagulants
- Gum health and any active infection near the site
- Previous radiotherapy to the head and neck
Honest information
Benefits, limitations & risks
Potential benefits
- May make implant treatment possible where bone is otherwise insufficient
- Can allow an implant of suitable size and angle for strength and cleaning
- Socket preservation may reduce ridge shrinkage after an extraction
- Can improve the gum contour around a future implant crown
Limitations
- Adds time to implant treatment, often several months
- Some graft volume can resorb, and further grafting is occasionally needed
- Larger defects tend to be less predictable than small ones
- Harvesting your own bone creates a second surgical site
Possible risks
- Swelling, bruising and discomfort for several days
- Infection at the graft site
- Exposure of the membrane or graft through the gum, which may affect the result
- Partial or complete graft failure, or less bone formation than planned
- Temporary or, rarely, lasting altered sensation if nerves are close to the site
The procedure
Bone Grafting, step by step
No single graft suits every situation. Planning considers whether width or height is missing, how large the defect is and your general health, aiming for the least invasive route that is likely to provide the bone the implant needs.
Step 01Imaging and planning
A cone-beam CT scan measures bone width and height in three dimensions. Your clinician explains whether a graft is needed, which technique and material suit the defect, and whether an implant could be placed at the same appointment or later.
Step 02Anaesthesia and access
The area is numbed with local anaesthetic. For socket preservation, the graft goes straight into the cleaned socket after extraction; for ridge augmentation, a small flap of gum is lifted to expose the bone and any infected tissue is removed.
Step 03Placing the graft
Particulate graft is packed into the socket or shaped along the ridge. For larger defects, a block of bone may be fixed with small screws. If your own bone is used, it is usually collected from a nearby area of the jaw.
Step 04Membrane and closure
A protective membrane is commonly placed over the graft, and the gum is stitched closed without tension. Membranes may be resorbable or, in some cases, need removing later.
Step 05Healing and re-scan
Over the following months the graft is gradually remodelled into your own bone. Small socket grafts may be ready sooner, while larger augmentations often need longer. A further scan confirms whether enough bone has formed before an implant is placed.
Gallery
Our clinic
Dental suite 
Treatment room 
Reception 
Rest area 
Main hall
Alternatives to consider
- Sinus lift surgeryIf the shortfall is height in the upper back jaw beneath the sinus, a sinus lift is the more specific procedure.
- All-on-4 dental implantsIn suitable full-arch cases, angled implants are positioned to use existing bone, which may reduce the need for grafting.
- Dental bridgesA tooth-supported bridge replaces a missing tooth without needing bone at that site, if the neighbouring teeth are suitable.
- Shorter or narrower implantsIn selected cases, implant dimensions can be adapted to the available bone, with your clinician weighing the trade-offs.
Before & after treatment
Preparation & aftercare
Before you travel
- Tell your clinician about all medicines and supplements, especially those affecting bleeding or bone
- Bring any recent X-rays or 3D scans you have
- Have active gum disease or infection treated first
- Stop smoking before and after surgery for as long as your clinician advises
- Plan soft meals and a quieter schedule for the first few days
Afterwards
- Follow the personalised instructions you are given; they take priority over this summary
- Avoid chewing on, pressing or touching the grafted area until advised
- Avoid straws, vigorous rinsing and strenuous exercise in the first days
- Take any prescribed medicines and mouthwash exactly as directed
- Avoid smoking and alcohol while the graft heals
- Contact the clinic about worsening pain or swelling, persistent bleeding or loose graft particles
In their words
What our patients say.
Dental patients describe their experience — from the first conversation to aftercare.
All patient reviewsGoogle reviews
Spoken with us already? Share your experience on Google.
Honest reviews — good or critical — help the next person decide. We read every one and never offer anything in exchange.
Questions
Asked about bone grafting.
General answers — your own plan always depends on an individual assessment.
All dental questionsHow do I know whether I need a bone graft?
Only 3D imaging can show this reliably. A cone-beam CT scan measures bone width and height at each planned implant site. Many people have enough bone for implants without grafting.
What is socket preservation?
It is a small graft placed into a tooth socket at the time of extraction to help limit the shrinkage that normally follows. It is usually considered when an implant is planned for that site later on.
Where does the graft material come from?
It may be your own bone, processed donor or animal-derived bone, or a synthetic substitute. Your clinician explains the options and why one may suit your case, and you are welcome to raise any preferences about the material’s origin.
Can the implant be placed at the same time as the graft?
Sometimes. If there is enough bone to hold the implant firmly, a small graft can be added around it at the same visit. Larger defects usually need to heal first, with the implant placed at a later appointment.
How long before I can have an implant?
It varies with the size and type of graft. Socket grafts may be ready sooner than larger ridge augmentations, which often need several months. A follow-up scan helps confirm when the site is ready.
Is bone grafting the same as a sinus lift?
No. Bone grafting is the broader term for rebuilding the jaw ridge, while a sinus lift specifically gains height beneath the sinus in the upper back jaw. Your scan shows which, if either, is needed.
Also available
You may also consider
Free consultation
Questions about bone grafting? Let’s talk.
Tell us what you would like to change. A coordinator replies personally and arranges a dentist’s review of your photos — free, without obligation.
- Free consultation
- VIP airport transfer
- Hotel stay
- One personal coordinator
A person replies. Monday to Saturday, Istanbul time.