Seongmo Dental Clinic · Seongbuk-gu, Seoul
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Simultaneous grafting versus staged grafting · Seongmo Dental Clinic, Sungshin Women’s University Station · Board-certified specialist in Integrated Dentistry
💡 The short answer. If the graft is done on the same day as the implant, treatment barely gets longer and finishes in about 3 months. A staged approach — grafting first, waiting for the bone to fill in, then placing the implant — adds 4 to 9 months. Which one applies depends on whether the implant can be held immobile in the remaining bone. Seongmo Dental Clinic measures the width and height of the bone on CBCT and, where stability can be achieved, carries out extraction, grafting and placement together.
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Once a tooth is extracted, the bone in that site loses its purpose and gradually shrinks. It is common for the width to narrow noticeably within a year of extraction. The same applies to sites where bone has already dissolved through gum disease, and to upper molars where bone height is limited by the space beside the nose. An implant that is not sufficiently enclosed by bone does not last, so grafting fills in what is missing.
Seongmo Dental Clinic does not graft when the CBCT measurements show enough bone, and grafts only the extent required when it is insufficient.
Barely any longer. Graft material is packed into the deficient areas around the implant as it is placed, and covered with a membrane. The grafted bone settles during the same osseointegration period in which the implant bonds to bone, so there is no separate waiting time. If the tooth needs extracting, extraction, grafting and placement can be completed in a single surgery as an immediate implant, and in that case the whole treatment period at Seongmo Dental Clinic is about 3 months.
There is one condition: the implant must be held immobile in the remaining bone. When 3 to 5 mm or more of bone remains beyond the root tip and the width is adequate, it is usually possible.
When there is too little bone to hold the implant, the graft is done first and the implant placed after waiting 4 to 9 months for the grafted bone to harden. An osseointegration period is then needed again, so the whole treatment runs 9 to 12 months or more. A sinus lift for an upper molar also takes longer when the bone height is very deficient, because it becomes a procedure of grafting first from a lateral approach and then waiting.
Three things. First, plan before extraction — coming in months after the tooth is out, once the bone has shrunk, can make the same-day approach impossible. Second, accurate diagnosis: Seongmo Dental Clinic measures the width, height and density of the bone on CBCT to judge in advance whether the same day is possible. Third, the implant surface. The SLActive surface of the Straumann BLX we use as standard shows 48.3% bone-to-implant contact at 4 weeks in the manufacturer’s data, and that tendency to bond quickly with bone is the basis for setting a shorter osseointegration period. Straumann BLX carries a 10-year warranty at our clinic.
Bone grafting is non-covered, and the cost varies with the extent of the graft and the material. Amounts by item are published on the non-covered fee guide.
The principle by which extraction, grafting and placement are combined into about 3 months is described on the implant page. 30 seconds on foot from Exit 2 of Sungshin Women’s University Station, 02-922-3966.
How long does swelling last after a bone graft?
Swelling is greatest for 2 to 3 days after surgery and mostly settles within a week. The wider the graft, the longer swelling and bruising may last.
What material is used for the graft?
Autogenous bone, allograft, xenograft or synthetic bone is chosen according to the site and the amount needed. The material and cost are explained together at consultation.
Does a bone graft shorten the life of an implant?
No. Its purpose is to fill deficient bone so the implant is sufficiently enclosed, so it is a step towards using it longer.
Can an implant be placed without a graft?
Where there is enough bone, no graft is done. Seongmo Dental Clinic recommends grafting only where the CBCT measurements show it is needed.
Related information
Seongmo Dental Clinic opened in 1998. I have held this position as the third director since April 2022, and I have one standard for choosing equipment: if I would not use it on my own family, I do not use it on my patients. One more scanner must not mean more treatment. If anything, it should mean cutting less, extracting less and finishing in one visit, from a more accurate original. The goal is not to be first with new equipment, but to offer the better of what is possible today to the patient sitting in the chair.
📍 3rd floor, 2 Dongsomun-ro 20ga-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul
🚉 30-second walk from Exit 2, Sungshin Women’s University Station (Parking: up to 2 hours at Utah Mall)
📞 +82-2-922-3966
📅 Mon/Wed/Fri 09:30–18:30 · Tue 09:30–20:00 (evening clinic) · Sat 09:30–14:30 (no lunch break) · Weekday lunch 13:00–14:30 · Closed Thu, Sun and public holidays
💬 Booking and enquiries: Naver Booking · Naver Talk · KakaoTalk channel · English page
🟡 Opened in 1998; third-generation director in charge of care since April 2022
⚕️ This article was written for information purposes in line with Korean medical law and the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s medical advertising standards. Equipment specifications given here come from the manufacturer’s official material and the figures on accuracy and comfort are values reported in academic literature; the outcome and course of individual treatment vary with the condition of the mouth. Please decide on a specific diagnosis and treatment plan after consulting your treating clinician.
This article was written as of August 2026. Equipment specifications and cost-related content are reviewed and updated every three months.
Peer-reviewed sources supporting the explanations above, selected by Dr. Tae-yoon Jang (Director, Seongmo Dental Clinic). Individual results may vary.