Your natural teeth should ideally last a lifetime. But infections, overcrowding, dental decay, and numerous other factors can lead to tooth loss or the need for extraction. Dr. Kayvan Fathimani recommends socket preservation to preserve and protect the natural jawbone after extraction, which can dramatically improve your long-term possibilities with a dental restoration.
Tooth Extraction Leads to Jawbone Resorption
You may need to undergo tooth extraction for numerous reasons, such as severe toothaches, infections, bone loss, gum disease, and fractured teeth. Dental decay and disease often spread into the bone tissues that hole your tooth in place, i.e., the socket. When the tooth is extracted, the underlying jawbone can get deformed. Furthermore, without a tooth to support, natural resorption also leads to the deterioration of the surrounding jawbone, leading to facial sagging and a collapse of the cheeks and jawline.
What is Socket Preservation?
Socket preservation allows you to preserve your jawbone and reduce bone loss after tooth extraction. The specific details of the procedure vary from one individual to the next, but the underlying goal is the same. Sometimes, the empty socket is filled with bone grafting material, either drawn from another part of your body, another individual, or synthetic sources, to stimulate natural bone augmentation to repair the socket. This procedure preserves the jawbone and allows you to receive dental implants, even after several years.
Benefits of Socket Preservation:
- Preserve natural jawbone
- Prevent jawbone resorption
- Prevent facial sagging after tooth loss
- Preserve your ability to receive dental implants
Paving The Way for Dental Implants
In addition to facial sagging, the loss of the jawbone can also lead to limited dental restoration possibilities. If you decide to receive dental implants in the future, you’ll need strong bone density to support the implants. If you’ve suffered considerable post-extraction bone resorption, you may not have enough bone density for implants, which may necessitate another bone grafting procedure. Socket preservation allows you to avoid such an eventuality — it helps you maintain your candidacy for dental implants in the future.
The Complete Socket Preservation Process
Your oral surgeon will determine if you need socket preservation after tooth extraction. If you’re a good candidate, socket preservation will be done during your extraction, so there’s no need for a separate procedure. After extracting the tooth, the surgeon will place the bone grafting material into the empty socket. The oral surgeon may use your bone material harvested from another part of the jaw, hip or knee, or bone graft bank.
After placing the bone grafting material in the socket, the surgeon will cover it with a special collagen membrane. The collagen tissue protects the socket and nourishes the graft with the nutrients needed for growth and regeneration. The bone graft will be covered with soft tissues and closed with sutures, following which the recovery process can begin. Socket preservation may add another 30 minutes to your tooth extraction procedure, but it can save you from needing a separate bone grafting procedure down the line.
Schedule Your Consultation
Dr. Kayvan Fathimani is a triple-board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon committed to offering cutting-edge treatments to preserve oral health. He carefully examines your facial anatomy, discusses your goals and symptoms, and curates personalized treatment plans to ensure the long-term health of your mouth and teeth. Please schedule a consultation to determine if you’re a candidate for socket preservation in Lone Tree.
