What is the maximum time that can go by between Bone Graft and implant placement?

There is typically a set time of 4 to 6 months to wait till the bone grafting is successful. Once you pass that time, there is no other limit to the time. If your situation doesn't allow you to get the implants right now, you can wait and have the implant done once things are more stable for you.All the best,

Hello, this is a great question and one that is typically a topic of conversation at my consultation appointments.

Although there is no exact answer, because bone healing and bone resorption are multifactorial, I typically quote my patients anywhere between 4-12 months is adequate on the low end for consolidation of the bone, and on the high end to prevent loss of the grafted bone. 

adequate bone can be confirmed with clinical examination and 3-D X-ray in the implant planning phase.

Thank you for your great question. The challenges when someone loses a tooth is twofold. First to preserve the site in order to replace it with a dental implant option, and second would be to preserve the space in order to have a dental implant. Conserving the site depends on the materials the surgeon used. Conserving the space depends on you wearing a space maintainer over time. After 6 months, you tend to start to lose with both bone quality and quantity as well as space. If you're hesitant for financial reasons, I would encourage you to discuss this with your dental office and look into dental financing so you are able to move forward as quickly as possible. The longer you are without the implant, the more negative changes you will see in the area. Good luck!

A ridge augmentation is accomplished by placing bone graft material in the tooth socket. It is often done immediately after the tooth is removed, to avoid the need for a second procedure later. Next, the gum tissue is placed over the socket and secured with sutures. I may choose to use a space-maintaining product over the top of the graft to help restore the height and width of the space created by the tooth and bone loss, and into which new bone should grow. Once the socket has healed, the alveolar ridge can be prepared for dental implant placement.

Hi,      The literature says the best time is in period from 6 months to a year .  Now this doesn't mean , if you do it in 2 years you won't have bone at all, it might still be possible , your surgeon need to get a CT scan which will show amount of bone available and all your options . Also important are other predisposing factors: like health of the gums and absence of periodontal disease, general health abscene of diabetes et cetera, habits like smoking and several other factors can affect the success and timeframes.      Good luck!!      George Sahakyan DDS