Dental Ridge Preservation
When you lose your tooth or have one extracted due to decay, injury or gum disease, your body begins to remodel and repair itself. As a result, the surrounding jawbone begins to collapse and shrink almost immediately, making it difficult for dental implants placement in future. At BrightCraft Dental and Laser, our goal is to ensure that if your tooth needs to be extracted, we start planning for the next step right away. With ridge preservation, we can limit the amount of bone loss so an implant can be successfully placed when you’re ready.
What is ridge preservation?
✓ Ridge preservation is a type of bone grafting procedure that helps to rebuild underlying bone after tooth extraction to provide support for future dental work.
✓ It is a technique used to minimize external resorption of the ridge and maximize bone formation within the socket.
✓ If a tooth is removed, the bone and soft tissue in the sockets gradually collapses overtime, leading to inadequate volume and unfavorable ridge architecture so no dental implants can be placed.
✓ Ridge preservation preserves the bone tissue after the loss and presents the site for future dental work, reducing the need for additional grafting.
What is the process for ridge preservation?
✓ The process begins with a consultation to discuss your goals. We may carry out an oral examination and conduct a 3D x-ray to have a comprehensive view of your dental health. This enables us to prepare the best course of action for treatment.
✓ Next is the removal of the affected tooth. We carefully perform the extraction while preserving the surrounding bone. After the tooth is successfully removed, the empty socket is filled with bone grafting material.
✓ The bone grafting material is designed to replace bone and stimulate bone growth in the socket. The material may come from your own body, a human donor, an animal or synthetic material. After placing the bone graft material, we place a barrier material over it and stabilize it with sutures, and possibly a collagen membrane.
✓ You may feel slight discomfort and pressure in the treatment area but this is normal and should subside after some days. We may prescribe medication to control any discomfort you might experience. Recovery time is approximately 3-5 months before a dental implant can be placed.
✓ In rare cases, the bone graft material may be reabsorbed into the gums. To prevent this from happening, we recommend a dental implant within 4-12 months. This will both keep your jawbone strong in the long-term and also restore your teeth’s aesthetics and functionality.
Am I a candidate for ridge preservation?
If you have a decayed or injured tooth or you suffer from gum disease, and you want to have it extracted, you may be a good candidate for ridge preservation. Schedule a consultation to determine whether ridge preservation is right for you.
What are the advantages of ridge preservation?
Ridge preservation offers a number of benefits including:
✓ Preserves bone tissue after the loss of a tooth for ideal implant placement
✓ Prevents the collapsing of the bone and soft tissue in the sockets
✓ Minimally invasive with minimal discomfort
✓ Prepares the site for future placement of a dental implant
✓ More cost effective and less painful than waiting to have the grafting procedure later
✓ Preserves a natural looking smile
Book an appointment today!
If you think a ridge preservation procedure may be right for you, At BrightCraft Dental and Laser, we are here for you. We want to help you get your smile back after an extraction. Put your mind at ease and schedule a consultation with us today and we will get you smile with confidence in no time.
What to do next?
Book your free consultation at BrightCrafts Dental․ BOOK ONLINE or call (818) 237-1010․
