When teeth are lost, the bone that used to surround them begins to melt away or “resorb”. If you lose enough teeth & bone, your facial features will sag, giving you a more aged appearance. Modern bone grafting-techniques allow the bone that has been lost to be built up again. Bone grafting is a minor surgical procedure that is normally done in a dental office.
An incision is made in your gum to gain access to the bone beneath it, & then grafting material is added. Most often, the grafting material is processed bone minerals around which your body will actually deposit new bone cells.