Bone Grafting for Dental Implants · La Mesa, San Diego
Vertical Bone Ridge Augmentation in San Diego
When your jawbone has lost too much height for dental implants, Dr. Cvetan Mechev, DDS can rebuild it. He uses the computer-guided bone harvesting technique for bone grafting for dental implants — Safecut — and 100% of your own bone, backed by 26 years of experience at La Mesa Dental Center.
What Is Vertical Bone Ridge Augmentation?
Vertical bone ridge augmentation — also called vertical ridge augmentation or vertical bone grafting for dental implants — rebuilds lost height in the jawbone. When a tooth is missing for a long time, the bone under it shrinks. If too much height is gone, there is not enough bone height to hold a dental implant safely.
Dr. Mechev takes a small shell of your own bone from the area behind the lower molars. He shapes it, moves it to the deficient area, and secures it with fixation screws. Over the next 4 months, your body turns the graft into solid, living bone. Once the ridge is rebuilt, a dental implant can be placed on a stable foundation.
This procedure is part of our large volume bone augmentation for dental implants series — real, documented cases with before and after CBCT measurements you can see below.
Trained at the Highest International Level
Dr. Mechev completed advanced bone grafting training in four cities:
- Dubai (UAE)
- London (UK)
- Padua (Italy) — twice, under Dr. Luca De Stavola
- Budapest (Hungary)
He’s the only dentist in San Diego and California who trained twice in Padua under Dr. Luca De Stavola, learning the Safecut method — a computer-guided way to take bone from one part of the jaw and use it to rebuild another area before placing a dental implant. This training covers both widening a thin jaw (horizontal grafting) and building up a short jaw (vertical grafting).
Patients travel from across Southern California — and even from Arizona and Nevada — for this level of bone grafting expertise.
Why Patients Choose Vertical Bone Grafting at La Mesa Dental Center
Computer-Guided Safecut Technique
Safecut is a computer-guided surgical approach. The bone cuts are planned digitally before surgery, so the harvest is precise, safe, and predictable.
100% Your Own Bone
Our documented vertical cases use 100% autogenous bone — your own living bone. No cadaver, animal, or synthetic material is needed for the graft itself.
A Comfortable Donor Site
The bone comes from the area behind the lower molars. The site is easy to access, hidden from view, and heals fully in about 6 months.
A Stable Base for Implants
Implants need enough bone to last — at least 7 mm of ridge width. Rebuilding the ridge first protects your implant investment for the long run.
In-House CBCT Imaging
Every case is planned and verified with our own CBCT scanner. You see exact before and after bone measurements, not estimates.
One Doctor, Start to Finish
Grafting, implant placement, and the final crown all happen in one office, with one doctor who knows your case — no referrals across town.
How Vertical Bone Augmentation Works
- CBCT scan and digital planning. A 3D CT scan maps your bone height and width to a fraction of a millimeter.
- Computer-guided bone harvesting. Using the Safecut technique, Dr. Mechev takes a thin block of bone from the area behind the lower molars.
- Graft placement. The bone is positioned to rebuild ridge height and secured with small fixation screws.
- Healing. The grafted site heals in 4 months. The donor site heals fully in about 6 months.
- Implant placement. With the ridge rebuilt, your dental implant is placed on solid bone.
Documented Result: 6 mm Vertical Gain
Six weeks healing, post 6 mm vertical bone ridge augmentation. Dental implants will be placed in 3 months.
Read Case #9: 6mm Vertical Bone Augmentation — Computer-Guided Safecut Technique →
Documented Result: Implants Placed & Crowns Completed
From a 6 mm vertical bone loss defect — where implants were first considered impossible — to two implants placed in 4 months and final crowns delivered 3 months after that.
Read Case #5: 6mm Vertical Bone Augmentation — Implants Placed and Crowns Completed →
Vertical Bone Grafting Cases — Large Volume Bone Augmentation Series
Vertical Bone Grafting for La Mesa, El Cajon, Spring Valley, Lemon Grove, San Diego & Southern California
8334 University Ave, La Mesa, CA 91942 — patients also travel from Arizona and Nevada for Dr. Mechev’s bone grafting expertise.
Vertical Bone Grafting FAQ
How much bone height can vertical augmentation rebuild?
It depends on your CBCT scan, but the gains are real and documented. In Case #9, Dr. Mechev rebuilt 6 mm of vertical bone height using the computer-guided Safecut technique and 100% autogenous bone.
Where does the graft bone come from?
From the area behind your lower molars. A thin block is taken with computer-guided precision, and the donor site heals fully in about 6 months. Because it’s your own bone, there is no rejection risk from donor material.
How long after the graft can my implant be placed?
The grafted site heals in 4 months. After a confirmation CBCT scan shows the new bone is solid, your dental implant is placed.
Do patients travel to La Mesa from outside San Diego for this procedure?
Yes. Dr. Mechev’s Safecut training in Padua, Italy is rare in the United States, so patients come from across Southern California — and even from Arizona and Nevada — for vertical and horizontal bone grafting.
Does dental insurance cover vertical bone grafting?
Many PPO plans cover part of the cost, up to your plan’s annual maximum. Coverage varies, so call us at (619) 337-2424 and we’ll check your benefits before treatment.
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