If you’ve been told you need a bone graft before getting a dental implant—or if you’ve experienced bone loss due to missing teeth—you’re not alone. Bone grafting is a common and highly effective treatment that strengthens your jaw and creates a solid foundation for long-term oral health.
At Luka Dental Care in London, Ontario, we use advanced bone grafting techniques to help patients restore bone volume, support future implants, and maintain the natural shape of their face. Our approach is gentle, personalized, and designed to get you back to smiling with confidence.
Bone grafting is a minor surgical procedure that replaces missing or weakened bone in the jaw. It encourages your body to grow new bone in areas where it has been lost due to injury, tooth extraction, gum disease, or aging. The new bone can come from a variety of sources—either your own body (autograft), a donor (allograft), animal-derived materials (xenograft), or synthetic substitutes (alloplast).
At Luka Dental Care, we choose the best material for your specific needs and use minimally invasive methods to keep your recovery smooth.
Your jawbone isn’t just there to hold your teeth—it plays a crucial role in the health and shape of your face. When a tooth is lost and not replaced, the bone underneath begins to shrink. Over time, this can lead to:
Sunken facial appearance
Difficulty placing dental implants
Misalignment of remaining teeth
Bite changes and jaw discomfort
Increased risk of further tooth loss
Bone grafting can stop or reverse this process by rebuilding bone where it's needed most. It’s often the first step toward getting dental implants or restoring the full function and structure of your smile.
If your jawbone isn’t strong or dense enough, we can often rebuild it—making you a better candidate for long-term solutions like implants.
Bone grafting is typically recommended for:
Patients who are planning to get dental implants but don’t have enough bone to support them
People who’ve had teeth missing for a long time and experienced bone resorption
Patients who’ve had previous infections or trauma to the jaw
Individuals preparing for full mouth restorations or All-on-X treatments
Those with periodontal (gum) disease that has led to bone loss
Depending on your needs and the area being treated, we may recommend one of the following:
A graft placed immediately after tooth extraction to prevent bone loss
Rebuilds bone along the gumline where it has thinned or collapsed
Adds bone beneath the sinus cavity for upper molar implants
Target small areas of bone loss
For more extensive restoration, often done in stages
We’ll review your X-rays and 3D scans to determine the most appropriate graft type and placement technique for your case.
Bone grafting is a routine, in-office procedure that’s done under local anesthesia. Here's how it typically works:
We start with a detailed consultation and 3D imaging to evaluate your jawbone and plan your treatment.
On the day of the procedure, we numb the area to keep you comfortable. Sedation is also available if you’re feeling anxious.
We make a small incision to access the treatment area, then place the grafting material where it's needed. The area is closed with sutures.
Your body begins to regenerate new bone over the graft material. This healing phase typically takes 3–6 months, depending on the size of the graft and your individual healing response.
Most patients report mild swelling or soreness for a few days after the procedure, which is easily managed with over-the-counter pain medication and rest. Here’s what you can expect during recovery:
Mild discomfort for 2–3 days
Swelling that peaks within 48 hours
Soft food diet for several days
Limited physical activity for 48–72 hours
Follow-up visits to monitor healing
We'll provide detailed aftercare instructions and check in with you to make sure everything is healing on track.
At Luka Dental Care in London, ON, we use advanced tools to make your bone grafting treatment as precise and comfortable as possible.
Provide 3D images of your jawbone to assess volume and plan graft placement
Allow us to track healing and progress over time
Carefully selected for safety, effectiveness, and long-term success
Helps coordinate grafting with implant design and placement in complex cases
This technology ensures we deliver safe, predictable results tailored to your anatomy and timeline.
Without bone grafting, many patients wouldn’t be candidates for implants at all. It’s a crucial step toward a fully restored, confident smile.
Dental implants need a stable foundation to stay securely in place. If there’s not enough bone, the implant can loosen or fail over time. A bone graft:
Increases jawbone density and volume
Creates a strong, secure base for implant placement
Improves implant longevity and performance
Ensures a more natural-looking outcome
Many people don’t realize that bone loss begins quickly after a tooth is removed. In the first year alone, you can lose up to 25% of the bone in that area. Over time, this loss can impact more than just your teeth—it can change your facial shape and compromise your long-term dental options.
That’s why we often recommend bone grafting early in the treatment process. By preserving or rebuilding bone now, you give yourself more flexibility and better outcomes down the road.
Think of bone grafting as investing in the foundation before building a house. With the right support in place, your dental implants—or any other restorations—will last longer, look better, and feel more natural. It’s one of the most powerful steps we can take together to ensure a strong, confident smile for life.
David M.
Luka Dental Care Patient
Bone grafting may sound intimidating, but at Luka Dental Care, we make it feel approachable and straightforward. Our patients choose us because:
We explain every step of the process so you know what to expect
We use modern technology to guide treatment safely and accurately
We work at your pace and tailor healing timelines to your needs
We coordinate your graft with any future implant or full arch plans
Our team is experienced, gentle, and always focused on comfort
We believe in restoring your oral health the right way—never rushing, never cutting corners.
If you’ve been told you don’t have enough bone for implants—or if you’ve experienced bone loss over time—we’re here to help. Bone grafting can restore what’s missing and open the door to long-term solutions like dental implants.
Most patients report only mild discomfort. We use local anesthesia and offer sedation options to keep you relaxed and pain-free.
The graft typically takes 3–6 months to fully integrate with your natural bone.
Not always—but if you’ve had bone loss or your jawbone isn’t dense enough, a graft may be necessary for long-term implant success.
Bone grafting has a high success rate, especially when combined with proper planning and aftercare. We’ll monitor your healing closely.
We use a variety of materials—including synthetic, donor, or your own bone—based on your needs and preferences.
Yes, but stick to soft foods for the first few days to allow the area to heal properly.
We’ll perform a 3D scan and exam to determine whether your bone is healthy and dense enough for implants or other treatments.
2101 Aldersbrook Rd, London, ON N6G 3X1
