In the first year after a tooth is pulled, the jawbone ridge can lose up to 50% of its width, and about two-thirds of that loss happens in the first 3 months, according to a review of ridge preservation for implant therapy. If you live in Salt Lake City and are weighing a November 2026 start against 2027 benefits, those first 3 months are the window that counts most. A licensed implant dentist can measure your own ridge with X-rays or a CT scan.
How much bone is lost at 3, 6, and 12 months?
Studies measure the ridge in different ways, so the numbers below are ranges from separate reports, not one universal curve.
| Time after extraction | What the studies report |
|---|---|
| 3 months | About 50% width reduction in a clinical review of socket healing; about 30% in the first 12 weeks in a separate review |
| 6 months | Mean width change of 2.03 mm with spontaneous healing in one comparison |
| 12 months | Up to 50% width loss (4.5 to 6.1 mm); 29% to 63% width and 11% to 22% height in another review |
The 3-month width figures differ because the studies differ in method and patients. Both point the same direction: the fastest change comes early.
What happens in the first 3 months?
Most of the dimensional change occurs during the first three months, followed by gradual loss through the rest of the first year, according to a review of biomaterials for ridge preservation.
One review of a 12-month observation put the loss at up to 50% of ridge width, equal to 4.5 to 6.1 mm, with about two-thirds in the first three months. Another reported roughly 30% of crestal width lost within the first 12 weeks, with about 50% gone by 12 months, per a review of postextraction ridge preservation.
What about 6 months?
At six months, a comparison of spontaneous healing and ridge preservation measured horizontal width change 1 mm below the ridge crest. It was 2.03 ± 0.54 mm with spontaneous healing and 0.86 ± 0.49 mm with preservation, per a hard and soft tissue evaluation.
A randomized study using a collagen plug found crestal height was greater on the grafted side than the nongrafted side at both 3 and 6 months, according to a socket preservation trial.
How much is lost by 12 months, in width and height?
Width is hit harder than height. One review reported 11% to 22% loss of alveolar height and 29% to 63% loss of width during the first 12 months, with about two-thirds of the loss in the first 3 months, per a systematic review of ridge preservation with graft materials.
A 2024 clinical study described resorption as most active in the first year and most pronounced in the first 3 months, with 30% to 50% width loss and 10% to 20% height loss within 12 months, per a study using advanced platelet-rich fibrin.
In millimeters, a systematic review reported average clinical width loss of 3.87 mm and height loss of about 1.67 to 2.03 mm after socket healing, per a review of extraction socket healing.
Does waiting for 2027 insurance or a spring tax refund risk needing a graft?
Not automatically, but the calendar matters. A wait from November 2026 to a spring 2027 refund is about five months, and the studies above show most of the first year's change is already finished by month 3.
How much bone you keep depends on your tooth type, socket shape, bone thickness around the root, infection, smoking, diabetes, gum disease, extraction technique and age. Only a dentist who examines you can say whether a graft is likely.
Here is a practical order of steps:
- If the tooth is still in place, ask whether socket preservation can be done at the extraction visit. The ridge preservation review notes that preservation is considered when implant therapy is planned.
- If the tooth is already out, get your ridge measured now instead of after the wait, so you know the width and height you are working with.
- Ask for a written plan with timing, so you can compare doing it in late 2026 against doing it in 2027.
If you are comparing budgets, our page on dental implant cost in Salt Lake City explains what drives the total, and our overview of affordable implant options covers ways to lower it.
Where can you look for lower-cost grafting and implants in Salt Lake City?
If bone loss has already happened, start by asking the University of Utah School of Dentistry in Salt Lake City whether it offers the grafting or implant service you need and what the fee would be. A March 2025 Utah Department of Health and Human Services rules matrix lists an expected payment of $10 to $500 per person for certain services through the school's statewide network. Ask directly whether your procedure falls within that range, since the figure applies only to the services that document describes.
Whichever route you choose, a licensed dentist decides what fits you after an exam and imaging. Our guide to choosing an implant dentist lists questions to bring, and single-tooth implants explains the usual path for one missing tooth.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers are in the FAQ below. A dentist can tailor each one to your mouth.
This is general information, not a diagnosis. If you want to be matched with a licensed local implant dentist, call (385) 213-6277 or send a request. Dental Implants Salt Lake City is a free referral service, not a dental office.
