What is Socket Preservation in Plattsburg?

Your dentist does everything they can to preserve your natural teeth. Unfortunately, there may come a time when it is in your best interest to have a tooth removed. It is estimated 120 million Americans are missing at least one tooth, which is often the result of extraction. Your dentist may recommend you have a tooth removed from decay or disease. No matter the cause, you will need an effective tooth replacement option. Now, more than 500,000 people choose dental implants to treat tooth loss. Socket preservation in Plattsburg helps make the implant process less complicated in the future.

Protecting Your Tooth’s Socket

After a tooth is removed, one of the leading concerns is a condition called dry socket. This occurs when the blood clot protecting the healing area is dislodged too soon. This causes the nerve beneath it to be exposed, leading to pain and discomfort. The blood clot also protects the alveolar ridge which is a strip of bone surrounding the roots of your teeth to hold them in place.

You can face certain challenges when replacing the tooth if the ridge is deformed or compromised. Your jawbone may not have enough density to support a dental implant in the future which is why socket preservation is necessary.

What is Socket Preservation?

The roots of your teeth stimulate your jawbone to keep it strong and healthy. When you lose a tooth, the root is also lost. As a result, the underlying bone is no longer stimulated, which causes it to deteriorate. In fact, your jawbone’s width can decrease by as much as 25% within the first year of losing a tooth.

As you lose bone, your remaining natural teeth no longer have adequate support, causing them to drift toward the open space. This leads to bite and alignment issues while also increasing your risk of additional tooth loss down the road. If you lose too much density, your jaw cannot support a dental implant. You will then need bone grafting to have the implant post placed. You can avoid these complications with socket preservation at the time of the tooth extraction.

Also known as alveolar ridge preservation, a bone graft is placed in the tooth’s socket, which is covered using a collagen membrane before suturing the area closed. This helps to improve the appearance of the remaining teeth and the gums while also making it easier to replace the missing tooth with a dental implant.

Although the procedure may seem complex, your recovery from the extraction is virtually unchanged. It is best to maintain your oral hygiene and avoid anything that may cause irritation to the site while you heal, such as eating hard foods or sucking through a straw.

Do I Need Dry Socket Preservation?

You dentist explains if the procedure is necessary during your initial consultation for an extraction. They create the individualized treatment plan to protect the health and function of your smile long-term.

About Dr. Gordon Davis

Dr. Gordon Davis is a periodontist in the community for advanced dental treatments. He is an active member of various organizations, including the American Dental Association and the International Team for Implantology. No matter if you need a tooth removed or dental implants, he has the solutions you need. Contact our office today to schedule your consultation.