Why We Graft After Wisdom Tooth Removal
Why We Graft After Wisdom Teeth Removal: Protecting Bone Health for Life
When wisdom teeth are removed, most people think the job is finished once the tooth is out. But what happens in the bone afterward can have long-term effects on oral health, especially around the second molar. When the area behind the second molar loses bone or fails to heal completely, it can create a space where bacteria collect and cause chronic inflammation. That’s why at our practice, we take an extra step after wisdom tooth removal by placing a small, non-cadaver, biomimetic bone graft made of tricalcium phosphate. This synthetic material supports natural bone regeneration and helps protect the long-term health of the jaw.
Studies have shown that removing impacted wisdom teeth often leaves a small bone defect behind the second molar. Over time, this can compromise the stability of that tooth, lead to residual gum pockets, and sometimes create cavitation-like voids where bone fails to form properly. Grafting the site immediately after extraction helps preserve bone volume, enhance healing, and prevent these long-term complications.
Recent clinical research has confirmed these benefits. A 2022 pilot study comparing healing with and without bone grafts found that grafted sites exhibited greater bone gain and healthier gum levels behind the second molar, with no complications reported. A prospective study published in BMC Oral Health in 2022 observed similar results, showing better bone fill and improved periodontal parameters after six months when grafts were used in defects larger than five millimeters. A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis of eight studies found that tooth-derived grafts preserved ridge width and produced roughly 40 percent new bone after four to six months. Another large study of 187 extraction sites using demineralized dentin grafts reported 40 to 50 percent new bone formation and over 95 percent implant survival after five months.
Researchers have also shown that covering grafts with a collagen membrane improves results by preventing soft tissue from invading the healing site and maintaining the space needed for predictable bone growth. These membranes are resorbable and are now widely used in grafting procedures following third molar surgery.
What all of this evidence points to is clear: grafting after wisdom tooth removal improves healing and protects the bone behind the second molar. It reduces the risk of long-term bone loss, supports proper alignment and chewing function, and helps prevent the formation of bacterial reservoirs that can become chronic infection sites later in life.
At our office, we use a non-cadaver, biomimetic graft made from tricalcium phosphate—a fully synthetic, sterile, and biocompatible material that mimics the natural mineral structure of bone. This approach avoids the use of donor or animal tissue while encouraging your own cells to grow and remodel the site naturally. Because the graft is resorbable, it slowly dissolves as your body replaces it with its own bone, leaving only healthy, living tissue behind. We may also enhance healing by using platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), prepared in our office using a PRF centrifuge. PRF is created from your own blood and contains natural growth factors that stimulate bone and soft-tissue regeneration without additives or chemicals.
Preserving bone after wisdom tooth extraction isn’t just about short-term recovery. It’s about long-term oral wellness—maintaining bone density, protecting the second molar, and preventing the kind of low bone density that can harbor bacteria and compromise health later in life. By combining modern evidence, holistic principles, and advanced technology like CBCT imaging, PRF preparation, Fotona lasers, and ceramic implant systems, we can provide a safer, cleaner, and more biologically aligned path to lifelong oral health.