Bone Grafting and Socket Preservation

Sadly, you had to have a tooth extracted. What’s next?

Immediately after a tooth is extracted the jawbone begins to reshape and recontour, and we end up with less bone, leaving us with less space to place the implant. This occurrence has led us to utilize a technique called socket preservation; socket preservation, counteracts this occurrence and keeps as much bone as possible. Socket preservation is a type of bone graft designed to keep the empty tooth socket from losing too much bone allowing a better support system for a dental implant to be placed. There is a lot of evidence that supports socket preservation. These studies demonstrate that there is a decrease in resorption when ridge preservation is utilized versus sockets where no graft material is placed. With more bone present, there is better implant placement as there is more of a foundation.

If you are scheduled for an extraction and your dentist does not consider socket preservation as routine part of the procedure, we suggest you look to find a surgeon who does. When bone graft is not placed immediately or soon after extraction it can compromise the function and aesthetics of a future dental implant.

Where does the bone come from?

The type of grafting we use is called an allograft. An Allograft is a tissue graft from the donor of the same species as the recipient, but they are not genetically identical. At Lake Forest Dental Associates, our bone graft comes from a trustworthy source and regulated by the FDA.

Will I be able to get a bone graft/ socket?

In most cases, our Lake Forest Dental Associates doctors can place a bone graft at the time of extraction. However, we sometimes are not able to place bone graft if an infection is present or if it is too great.

Do I need to take an antibiotic with the bone graft?

Sometimes, our doctors will determine if you need to take an antibiotic with the socket preservation.

What happens if I do not do socket preservation or bone grafting?

If Socket preservation or bone grafting is not done you will lose bone in the extraction site due to remodeling. This can put you at a disadvantage for future implant placement.

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