If at all possible, we would want to begin the ridge augmentation procedure by immediately placing a bone graft in the empty socket. The gum tissue is placed over the bone graft, and the area is stitched up. If we are lucky, that is all the rebuilding we have to do. However, there are times when we have to do additional work.
There are times when we also have to perform a ridge expansion. This happens when the jawbone is not high enough or wide enough to support an implant. When this happens, we may have to work to build up the bone by making a hole in the jawbone to add additional material to build up the jawbone. In both cases, the area is allowed to heal before an implant is placed. The healing time can take between three and six months.