Preparatory Surgery

Bone Grafting in Marylebone

Rebuilding jawbone that has shrunk since a tooth was lost, so an implant has something solid to anchor into, carried out at UNTIL Marylebone.

Book Consultation
  • CBCT scan on site
  • GDC-registered dentists
  • Written plan before you commit
A treatment room at UNTIL Marylebone, prepared with fresh linen and a clinician stool

The short answer

What bone grafting is

Jawbone exists to hold tooth roots, so it starts to shrink as soon as a tooth is gone. Bone grafting adds volume back where there is not enough left to place an implant safely. It is a preparatory stage rather than a treatment in itself, and not everyone needs it.

Dental bone graft: what to expect

Sinus lift for upper implants

A sinus lift adds bone under the floor of the sinus above the upper back teeth, where the sinus has expanded into the space left by lost teeth. A small internal lift is often done through the implant site at the same visit; a larger lateral lift comes first, with the implant months later.

The sinus lift page covers both types, recovery, risks and published W1 prices.

Bone grafting for dental implants

Bone shrinks once a tooth has gone, as the jaw bone loss page explains. A graft rebuilds enough width or height for an implant to sit where the finished tooth needs to be, rather than where the leftover bone happens to be.

Socket preservation

Graft material placed in the socket when a tooth is removed, to keep the ridge from collapsing while it heals. It makes a later implant simpler and is quoted with the extraction where it is needed.

Guided bone regeneration

Granules of graft material held in place under a membrane, to add width where the ridge has thinned. Small amounts are often added at the same visit as the implant.

Block graft

A piece of bone fixed to the jaw where the shortfall is too large for granules. It needs months to heal before an implant, which your written plan sets out from the start.

Bone grafting near you in Marylebone

Bone grafting and sinus lift treatment is arranged at UNTIL Marylebone, 1 Orchard Street W1H 6HJ, beside Selfridges, about 7 minutes on foot from Bond Street station and 6 from Marble Arch, according to TfL. Directions, opening hours and the nearby areas people travel from are on the Marylebone location page.

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Areas treated

Why bone grafting is done before implants

  • It makes implant treatment possible in jaws that would otherwise be turned down for it
  • The implant can be placed where the finished tooth needs to be, rather than where the remaining bone happens to allow
  • Grafting at the time of extraction is usually simpler and smaller than rebuilding the same bone later
  • Restoring ridge width improves how the finished crown emerges through the gum, which matters most at the front
  • A sinus lift reopens the back of the upper jaw, which is the site most often written off as impossible

Patient journey

What to expect from bone grafting and sinus lift

Consultation & preparation

Bring your medicines list and full medical history, including any bisphosphonate or denosumab treatment and any bleeding disorder. Tell the clinician about sinus problems, allergies or recent sinus infections before a sinus lift is planned. Stop smoking well ahead of the procedure if you can, because it is the single largest risk factor for graft failure.

During treatment

Aftercare

Expect swelling for several days and avoid disturbing the site: no probing with your tongue, and no brushing directly over it until told otherwise. After a sinus lift, do not blow your nose forcefully, sneeze with your mouth open, and avoid flying and swimming for the period you are given. Take any antibiotics and rinse exactly as prescribed.

Pricing

Bone graft and sinus lift cost in London

Marylebone Dental Implants tells you before you commit whether a graft is needed and prices it as its own stage. For comparison, W1 lists on 29 September 2026 put guided bone regeneration at £400 to £850 and a sinus lift at £995 to £1,500.

Implant consultation and CBCT assessment The scan is what establishes whether grafting is needed at all.
On enquiry
Ridge preservation at extraction Placed into the socket on the day the tooth comes out.
On enquiry
Guided bone regeneration, single site Rebuilding width or height at an established gap.
On enquiry
Sinus lift, internal approach Where a modest height increase can be achieved through the implant site.
On enquiry
Sinus lift, lateral window approach Where greater height is needed, staged ahead of implant placement.
On enquiry

FAQ

Bone grafting questions,
answered

Do I definitely need a bone graft for an implant?

Not necessarily, and it cannot be answered without a scan. Many people have enough bone and need nothing. Full arch cases in particular often avoid grafting because angled implants reach available bone. A CBCT scan measures the height and width you actually have, which is the only reliable way to know.

Where does the bone graft material come from?

It may be your own bone taken from elsewhere in your jaw, a processed human or animal-derived material, or a fully synthetic substitute. Each behaves differently and each has its place. If the source matters to you for religious or personal reasons, say so at consultation, because alternatives exist.

How long after a bone graft can I have the implant?

Usually several months, because the graft is a scaffold that your own bone has to grow into and replace. Small grafts sometimes allow the implant to be placed at the same visit. Larger reconstructions and lateral sinus lifts need staging, and your timeline is set from your scan and your healing.

Is a sinus lift painful?

It is done under local anaesthetic, so you should feel pressure rather than pain. Afterwards expect swelling and sometimes bruising for several days. You will be asked not to blow your nose forcefully and to sneeze with your mouth open while the membrane heals, which matters more than the discomfort.

Can a bone graft fail?

Yes, though it is uncommon. Infection, the graft becoming exposed through the gum, and smoking are the usual reasons. Smoking is the single largest modifiable risk and is a genuine reason to defer grafting. A failed graft can often be redone, and Marylebone Dental Implants discusses that openly before you consent rather than treating it as unmentionable.

How long is the recovery after a bone graft?

Swelling peaks around day two or three and settles over the week, and most people are back at a desk the next day. The part that takes longer is what you cannot see: the graft is a scaffold your own bone grows into over several months. Marylebone Dental Implants sets that interval from your scan rather than a standard figure.

Related Treatments

A consulting room at UNTIL Marylebone set up for a seated conversation, with a desk, chairs and an examination couch
Assessment

Implant Consultation

A scan, an examination and a written plan, so you find out what is actually possible before you commit. The CBCT scanner is on site at Marylebone, so the bone you have is measured in the building rather than estimated from a flat X-ray taken elsewhere.

A dental surgery at UNTIL Marylebone, with a Sirona treatment chair, operating light and chairside monitor
Implant Treatment

Single Tooth Implant

One implant and one crown, replacing a single missing tooth without cutting down the healthy teeth on either side. That is the practical difference from a conventional bridge, which needs both neighbours prepared and crowned to carry the span across the gap.

Dentist showing a patient images of her teeth on a laptop
Preparatory Surgery

Sinus Lift

Adding bone beneath the sinus above the upper back teeth, so an implant has enough height to anchor in. A small internal lift is often done with the implant; a larger lateral lift comes first, with the implant placed once the graft has matured months later.

Get Started

Request a dental implant assessment in Marylebone,
and UNTIL Health Concierge arranges it at Orchard Street.

Marylebone Dental Implants • UNTIL, 1 Orchard Street, London W1H 6HJ

Request an assessment

The UNTIL Health Concierge team says it will be in touch within 24 hours of your enquiry.