"You do not have enough bone for implants" is something many patients hear before they find us. At Imagine Advanced Dental Arts in Lawrenceville, NJ, Dr. Maria Rhode performs bone grafting and sinus lifts in our own office, so the jaw can be rebuilt and the dental implants placed by the same surgeon, without a referral to an outside oral surgeon.
Watch a complete case from our office: how Dr. Rhode takes a patient from constant pain and failing teeth to a rebuilt, functional smile.
Jawbone stays strong because tooth roots stimulate it. After a tooth is lost, the bone in that spot begins to shrink - up to a quarter of its width in the first year - and long-term denture wear, gum disease, and infection accelerate the loss. An implant needs a certain volume of healthy bone around it to fuse properly and to support a crown for decades. When that volume is missing, grafting restores it.
Placed at the time a tooth is removed, this small graft keeps the socket from collapsing so an implant can be placed a few months later without a larger rebuild. It is the simplest and most common graft we do.
When a tooth has been missing for years the jaw ridge thins and shortens. Ridge augmentation rebuilds that width and height with bone-graft material so an implant has solid support on every side.
In the upper back jaw the sinus often sits too close to the ridge for a full-length implant. A sinus lift gently raises the sinus membrane and adds bone beneath it, creating room for implants where molars used to be.
In many cases Dr. Rhode can place the graft and the implant in the same visit, shortening the overall timeline. CBCT imaging tells us in advance whether your case qualifies.
Every grafting case at Imagine Advanced Dental Arts starts with an in-house CBCT 3D scan. It shows the exact height and width of bone, the position of the sinus and nerves, and whether an implant can go in at the same time as the graft. You see the scan with Dr. Rhode and leave the consultation with a written plan and estimate - graft, implant, and final teeth - so there are no surprises later.
CBCT 3D scan and consultation
The scan measures your bone to the millimeter and shows the sinus and nerve positions. Dr. Rhode reviews it with you and tells you honestly whether you need a graft at all.
The grafting procedure
Under local anesthesia - with sedation if you choose - the graft material is placed where bone is missing. Most grafts take under an hour; many are done at the same visit as an extraction or implant.
Healing and integration
Over three to six months your own bone grows into the graft, turning it into solid, living jawbone. Expect a few days of mild swelling and a soft diet for about a week.
Verification scan
A follow-up scan confirms the new bone is dense and ready before any implant surgery is scheduled - no guessing.
Implant placement
With the foundation rebuilt, Dr. Rhode places the implant in the same office, by the same hands that did the graft.
Grafts and sinus lifts are done under local anesthesia, and most patients choose to add sedation - nitrous oxide, conscious sedation, or IV sedation - particularly when extractions or implant placement happen in the same appointment. Expect mild swelling for a few days, a soft diet for about a week, and a follow-up visit to check healing.
Patient Reviews
Comfort is what patients mention most about their visits with us.
"I chose Imagine Dental because my former dentist was part of an 'assembly line' practice. I wanted something smaller, more personal. I'm not a fan of going to the dentist but the staff put me at ease and spent time explaining things. I didn't feel rushed out to make room for the next patient. I'm glad I made the switch."
Nicole B Patient review
"Beautiful office with an inviting feel. Professional, knowledgeable and friendly staff."
Lauri C. May 11th Patient review
Patients come to our Princeton Pike office from Princeton, Ewing, Hamilton, Pennington, West Windsor, and well beyond Mercer County because grafting, implants, and the final restoration all happen under one roof. To find out whether you need a graft before implants, contact Imagine Advanced Dental Arts or call 609-896-0589.
A dental bone graft adds bone-graft material to the jaw where bone is too thin or too short to hold an implant. At Imagine Advanced Dental Arts the graft integrates with your own bone over a few months, creating a stable foundation for the implant.
Dr. Maria Rhode, a surgeon with 20 years of experience who holds a Fellowship in Implantology, performs bone grafting, sinus lifts, and implant placement in-house at Imagine Advanced Dental Arts in Lawrenceville, NJ - you are not referred to a separate oral surgeon.
Very often, yes. At Imagine Advanced Dental Arts we take a CBCT 3D scan to measure your bone precisely; most patients told elsewhere that they lack bone can still receive implants after a graft or sinus lift, and All-on-4 is designed to use the bone you already have.
The procedure itself is done under local anesthesia, and at Imagine Advanced Dental Arts nitrous oxide, conscious sedation, or IV sedation is available if you prefer. Most patients describe a few days of pressure and swelling rather than pain, managed with over-the-counter medication.
A socket-preservation graft usually heals in about three to four months; a larger ridge augmentation or sinus lift typically needs four to six months before the implant is placed. Dr. Rhode at Imagine Advanced Dental Arts confirms healing with a follow-up scan before scheduling surgery.
Imagine Advanced Dental Arts most often uses processed, sterile donor or synthetic graft materials that act as a scaffold for your own bone to grow into, so a second surgical site to harvest bone is rarely needed.
Cost depends on the size of the graft and whether a sinus lift is needed; at Imagine Advanced Dental Arts every case receives a written, all-in estimate after the CBCT consultation, and CareCredit financing is available. Our article on dental implant costs in Lawrenceville explains the typical ranges.
Yes. At Imagine Advanced Dental Arts grafting and sinus lifts are commonly done under conscious or IV sedation, especially when combined with extractions or implant placement in the same visit.
The main risks are a small tear in the sinus membrane, which Dr. Rhode repairs during surgery, and temporary sinus congestion. At Imagine Advanced Dental Arts we plan every sinus lift on a CBCT scan and give you clear after-care instructions - no nose-blowing or straws for a couple of weeks - to protect the graft.
Book an implant consultation at Imagine Advanced Dental Arts in Lawrenceville, NJ. A CBCT 3D scan shows exactly how much bone you have, and Dr. Rhode will tell you whether a graft, a sinus lift, or neither is needed.
dental implants
NJ All-on-4 quotes advertised near $11,000 to $14,000 per arch typically cover only the implant surgery and a temporary acrylic prosthesis placed on the day of surgery.
dental implants
A medication-readiness review, the pre-surgical screen that maps each drug to its specific effect on bone healing and clotting, predicts implant success more reliably than a patient's age. Blood thinners require bridging protocols.
dental implants
Yes, a root canal can be performed through a zirconia crown, but it is significantly harder than working through porcelain.
Get a second opinion with a CBCT 3D scan - Dr. Rhode will show you exactly what is possible.
Find us
On Princeton Pike just off I-295, between Princeton and Trenton. Patients drive to us from across Mercer County and beyond.
Imagine Advanced Dental ArtsDirections from East Windsor, Ewing Township, Hamilton, Hopewell, Mercerville, Morrisville, Pennington, Plainsboro, Robbinsville, West Windsor, Yardley and nearby towns.
