Socket Preservation Procedure

Preserving Your Jaw Bone after Extraction

When teeth are extracted bone-loss occurs within the first eighteen months following the extraction and will continue gradually throughout your life. Bone loss can also occur from disease, infection and trauma to the bone from extracting the tooth. After the extraction, the empty socket will heal on its own, filling with bone and tissue. The bone lost results in a poor site for implant placement. To save the site for implant placement, bone or bone substitute is put into the extraction socket. This bone will remain for 4 months to become solid before placing the implant in a second procedure. In some cases, the bone can be placed at the same time as implant placement to avoid the need for a second procedure later. The bone or bone substitute will not be taken from other parts of your own body. Doing so would result in an additional surgery and can lead to a more painful recover from an additional surgical site.