One may have heard of bone graft for dental implant surgery but what the decision is based on is a puzzle to most of us.
Bone grafta is to place the graft material in the alveolar ridge where bone structure is insufficient. There are different materials for bone graft such as autografts, xenografts, alloplastics, and artificial bones. The necessity for bone graft depends on age of the patients, oral condition, and shape of the alveolar ridge. It is essential to have an implant site (alveolar ridge) with sufficient width, height, and bone density for better osteointegration. Dental implant and the crown can withhold the biting force when the osteointegration is completed only. Bone graft is a must with inadequate bone structure. For instance, for a tree to grow there must be stability, hence the soil provides that and the nourishment a tree needs. This results tree root with firm grasp onto the soil just like an implant being placed in an area with sufficient bone. To have a durable and functional dental implant, the missing teeth area needs to be prepared before implant placement.  However, the missing tooth area is not equal to bone graft and there is a variant between cases. Some patients may have missing teeth for a long period of time and the alveolar bone is still in excellent condition.