Ridge Preservation Preserves Bone Around a Lost Tooth and Keeps Your Mouth Healthy!
Bone Preservation Begins At Tooth Extraction
Removing a tooth, root and all, may be necessary for a severely damaged tooth. However, missing teeth can affect your oral health because a tooth’s root stimulates jaw growth. When you take that away, the bone in the area naturally begins to degrade and recede.
This can lead to serious problems down the road. At West Valley Dental Implant Practice, we combat that issue by offering ridge preservation treatment.
Ridge Preservation in Encino, CA
When one or more teeth are extracted from the mouth, soft tissue and bone can begin to regress or collapse. Without the tooth root to stimulate the jaw, the surrounding bone often begins to deteriorate shortly following the loss of a tooth. Significant bone loss can make placing dental implants more difficult and more expensive.
Ridge Preservation After Tooth Loss
Loss of bone can also lead to depressions or unevenness within the ridge, which is supported by the contour of the underlying bone. Ridge (or socket) preservation is a type of bone grafting procedure that rebuilds and stabilizes bone where an extraction has left an empty socket.
A ridge preservation procedure is often recommended often after an extraction takes place. The treatment can help to promote the esthetics of the ridge and avoid bony defects.
The Procedure
Ridge preservation procedures ideally begin with the removal of the tooth. The doctor will perform the extraction carefully so as to not disturb existing bone in the socket. Next, the doctor will place a specialized bone grafting product. This product can be an autogenous graft, allograft, alloplast, or xenograft material.
The bone grafting material is designed to replace bone and stimulate growth in the socket. After the graft has been placed, the material will be stabilized with sutures and possibly a collagen membrane.
Healing time is approximately three to five months. Once that time is complete, you’ll be ready for a dental implant placement.
The Benefits
Ridge preservation can essentially minimize the amount of bone loss that occurs after the removal of one or more teeth. This procedure is designed to prevent the collapsing of bone and soft tissue in the sockets.
Leaving the socket empty after an extraction is also likely to lead to deteriorating bone in the jaw. If this is allowed to happen, you will be less likely to qualify for a dental implant—a restorative option that can stimulate bone growth in your jaw as well as prevent collapsing of bone and soft tissues in the empty socket.
Other benefits of ridge preservation:
- Minimally invasive with minimal discomfort.
- Prepares the area for future placement of a dental implant or other tooth replacement.
- Reduces the need for additional grafting.
- Maintains the aesthetics of the ridge.
- Preserves a natural-looking smile.
Discover What Ridge Preservation Can Do For Your Smile Today
Ridge preservation is a tried and true restorative method that can save your smile. It works to preserve the structure of your mouth so that you’ll be better situated to enjoy the many benefits of a dental implant later on. Contact us today to learn more or schedule an appointment.