Why did my previous dentist say I'm not a candidate?

Often because they didn't do bone grafting in-house and weren't going to refer you out. Some general dentists also don't perform implant surgery and avoid the conversation entirely. A second opinion with our 3D CT scan tells you definitively.

Where does the graft material come from?

Most commonly: synthetic bone substitute (calcium-based, FDA-cleared) or processed donor bone. Both safely rebuild into your own bone. We can discuss the options at your consult — patients with religious or personal preferences have synthetic-only options.

Less painful than the average tooth extraction. Most patients describe 24–48 hours of mild swelling and tenderness, then it gradually subsides.

How much does it cost on top of the $1,999 implant?

Depends on the graft size. Small socket preservations are inexpensive; sinus lifts and block grafts cost more. We quote you the exact number in writing at your consult — never a 'we'll figure it out at surgery' situation.

Bone Grafting & Ridge Augmentation

Most patients told they don't have enough bone qualify after a small graft.

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If a previous dentist told you "you don't have enough bone for implants," there's a very good chance they were wrong — or at least incomplete. Most patients in that situation actually qualify for implants after a small bone graft, a routine procedure we perform in-house at all three locations.

A bone graft adds a small amount of donor or synthetic bone material to the area where an implant needs to go. Over 4–6 months, your body integrates the graft and rebuilds it into your own bone. Once healed, an implant can be placed normally.

We perform several graft variants: socket preservation (immediately after a tooth extraction, to keep the bone height for a future implant), ridge augmentation (rebuilding a deficient ridge laterally), sinus lifts (raising the sinus floor in the upper jaw), and block grafts (for larger defects). Most are done under local anesthesia or IV sedation as an outpatient procedure.

What's included

The Bone Grafting difference.

In-house, no referral

All graft variants performed at our offices. No second clinic, no separate fees, no months-long referral wait.

Quoted in writing at consult

Graft pricing is added to your $1,999 implant quote in writing — never as a surprise after surgery.

Routine, not heroic

Bone grafting is one of the most common procedures in implant dentistry. Most patients heal fully within 4–6 months with no complications.

Funded financing available

Sunbit, CareCredit, Cherry, and Proceed all cover bone graft + implant treatment plans together.

How it works

From first photo to final crown.

Free 3D CT scan

CBCT imaging shows the exact bone deficit. Without this scan, no one can tell you what graft (if any) you need.

Graft type selection

Dr. Sunny recommends socket preservation, ridge augmentation, sinus lift, or block graft based on what your scan shows.

Graft procedure

30–90 minutes depending on graft size. Local anesthesia or IV sedation. Recovery is 7–10 days of soft food and mild swelling.

Healing (4–6 months)

Body integrates the graft material. Some grafts allow simultaneous implant placement; others require waiting for full integration.

Implant placement

Implant placed normally after graft has healed. From this point, the timeline matches a standard implant case.

What patients say

Hear from patients across all three locations.

★★★★★

"$1,999 was unbeatable. Other places quoted me $4,000+. Dr. Sunny was upfront about everything from the first photo I sent. No surprise charges, no hidden fees, exactly what they said."

Sarah M.

Sacramento · $1,999 Single-Tooth Implant

★★★★★

"I'd been hiding my smile for years. Dr. Sunny did my full upper arch and I walked out with permanent teeth that day. Best decision I've made in a decade."

Robert J.

Modesto · All-on-4

★★★★★

"I was nervous because the price seemed too good. But the team explained every step, the 3D scan was free, and the final crown looks better than my real teeth. Five stars all the way."

Maria G.

Fair Oaks · Single-Tooth Implant

Common questions

Common questions about this procedure

Where we are

Three California offices. One trusted team.

Dr. Sunny and the surgical team rotate across all three locations. Same protocols, same implants, same $1,999 price.

Elk Grove

9340 W Stockton Blvd, Suite 120

Elk Grove, CA 95758

(916) 886-1806

Mon–Fri 8am–5pm

See location details →

Fair Oaks

11121 Fair Oaks Blvd

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

(916) 918-5960

Mon–Fri 8am–5pm

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Riverbank

2754 Topeka St

Riverbank, CA 95367

(209) 569-3502

Mon–Fri 8am–5pm

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Related services

Looking at other options?

$1,999

$1,999 Single-Tooth Implant

Titanium implant + custom abutment + porcelain crown — all-in for $1,999. Free 3D CT scan and consultation.

Call for pricing

All-on-4 Full-Arch Implants

Permanent teeth in one day. Four implants per arch support a fixed bridge.

Call for pricing

All-on-X (5–6 Implant) Full-Arch

When 4 implants aren't ideal — bone density, bite forces, or arch shape — we go to 5 or 6.

Bone grafting, ridge preservation, and sinus lifts for implant candidacy

What patients told 'you have no bone for implants' should know about graft materials, timelines, and the All-on-4 alternative.

Why 'you have no bone for implants' is frequently wrong — and what a CBCT actually shows

The most common scenario in our practice for patients arriving with prior treatment plans saying 'you need $8,000–$15,000 in bone grafting before any implants': the original assessment was made on a 2D panoramic X-ray rather than a 3D CBCT scan. Panoramic imaging is a single-plane projection — it shows tooth root positions and gross bone outline reasonably well, but it consistently underestimates available cortical bone width and height because the third dimension (buccal-lingual depth) is collapsed onto the image plane. CBCT (cone-beam computed tomography) reconstructs the jaw in three dimensions, revealing precise alveolar ridge dimensions, cortical bone thickness, maxillary sinus floor position, and inferior alveolar nerve trajectory. The free CBCT scan at your consult often shows that the All-on-4 tilted-implant protocol can engage existing bone without grafting, or that only minimal socket-preservation grafting is needed rather than the $8,000+ staged augmentation initially proposed.

Graft material types: autograft, allograft, xenograft, and synthetic alloplast

Four primary graft material categories are used in implant dentistry. Autograft (the patient's own bone, typically harvested from the chin, ramus, or iliac crest) is the historical gold standard for osteogenic potential but adds donor-site morbidity and is rarely needed for typical socket preservation or small ridge augmentation. Allograft (processed human cadaveric bone, sterilized and demineralized) provides excellent osteoconductive scaffold and integrates well; FDA regulation ensures disease-transmission risk is functionally zero. Xenograft (typically processed bovine bone, e.g., Bio-Oss) is widely used for sinus lifts and ridge augmentation; it resorbs slowly and maintains volume well. Synthetic alloplast (calcium phosphate ceramics like beta-tricalcium phosphate, or bioactive glass) offers a fully synthetic option for patients with religious, ethical, or personal preferences against processed-tissue grafts. We discuss material options at your consult and document the selected material in your written treatment plan.

Sinus lift vs zygomatic implants for severe upper-jaw atrophy

Posterior maxillary bone loss with maxillary sinus pneumatization is one of the most common reasons patients are told they 'need extensive grafting first.' The traditional pathway is a lateral-window sinus lift: a small bony window is created in the lateral maxillary wall, the Schneiderian membrane is elevated, graft material is packed into the created space, and 6–9 months of healing follows before implant placement. The procedure works well in skilled hands but adds time, cost, and a healing phase before implants can be placed. The All-on-4 tilted-implant protocol bypasses the sinus floor entirely by angling the distal implants forward, eliminating the sinus lift in most full-arch cases. For Cawood-Howell class V/VI atrophy where even tilted All-on-4 cannot achieve fixation, zygomatic implants anchored into the malar bone are performed in-house — a same-surgical-day alternative to the staged sinus-lift-then-implant pathway.

Send a photo. Hear from Dr. Sunny in 24 hours.

No pressure, no high-pressure sales call. Just a written treatment plan and a short video from the surgeon — so you can decide if implants are right for you on your own time.

Start Free Virtual Consult Or call: (916) 886-1806