Table of Contents
When is an Extraction Necessary?
Tooth removal may be necessary if a tooth is severely damaged or broken to the point that it cannot be repaired with just a dental restoration, such as a filling or a crown.
Diseased teeth sometimes require extractions when they are not savable. If they remain in the mouth, the disease has the potential to spread to the neighbor tissue. Extractions and infection treatments are mandatory to prevent further damage of the surrounding oral structure.
Extraction and Bone Loss
Bone loss is a common consequence of losing teeth. A significant portion of bone loss takes place within 3 to 6 months of tooth removal. In the first year after tooth extraction, 25% of bone is lost, and this bone loss continues to occur.
This bone loss occurs in the bone surrounding and supporting the tooth, known as alveolar bone. Alveolar bone forms the ridges in which the teeth are embedded. These ridges shrink both vertically and horizontally, and as a result, your gums start to recede as well.
What Socket Preservation Does
A socket or alveolar ridge preservation procedure involves placing a bone graft materials into the socket, where the tooth once was.
The goal of socket preservation is to improve the appearance of the remaining teeth and gums, and to make the process of getting a dental implant (at some point down the line) less complicated.
Implant and Bone Graft
Getting a bone graft right after a tooth extraction can often (but not always) avert the need for bone grafting before dental implant surgery.
With the technology out today, we are now able to extract teeth, place implants, and insert bone graft material all in the same day.
