Socket Preservation Graft From an Oral Surgeon

If you intend to have a removed tooth replaced in the future and one of your treatment choices is a dental implant, you may need to undergo a socket preservation graft from an oral surgeon. The bone graft will protect the tooth socket, preventing it from getting resorbed.

An overview of socket preservation bone grafts

A socket preservation graft is a dental operation performed at the same time as a tooth extraction. After the tooth extraction, the dentist will insert bone graft material straight into the socket where the tooth's roots used to be. The bone transplant material might originate from several different places. Some are entirely synthetic, while others incorporate demineralized animal bone. These animal products are bone granules and contain no organic content.

Small white granules, roughly the size of kosher salt, make up the bone transplant material. It creates a matrix for the natural bone to grow and heal inside the empty socket. This material aims to encourage the body's bone to fill up the socket created by tooth extraction.

The importance of socket preservation bone graft

The sole function of the jawbone is to keep teeth in place. The bone normally reduces in breadth and height when a tooth is extracted. This shrinking may make it impossible to later have a dental implant replace the lost tooth. A socket preservation bone graft delays the shrinking process and preserves the jawbone's average breadth and height at the tooth extraction site.

A socket preservation graft is a quick and painless operation done just after the tooth extraction. No extra surgical operation is required, unlike other forms of bone transplants. The surgeon inserts the material into the socket and uses a collagen plug or membrane to cover it before using stitches to keep it together until healing is complete.

Socket preservation bone grafts are also less costly than other forms of bone grafts due to their simplicity, as they may be placed right after the extraction. It is usually less costly to preserve current bone than to restore lost bone.

Eligibility for socket preservation

It is hard to tell how fast a person's jawbone can deteriorate. In general, the upper jaw loses more bone than the lower, and older individuals lose bone quicker than younger people. After examining the patient's health history and comprehensive 3D scans of the jaws, the oral surgeon may make an informed prediction about the patient's particular condition.

Final note

Call the dental office to book an appointment with the dental professional. They can evaluate your unique case and answer any concerns concerning socket preservation graft, extraction, and prospective tooth replacement choices. 

Request an appointment here: https://spectrumsurgical.net or call Facial Spectrum at (816) 524-4334 for an appointment in our Lee's Summit office.

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