Socket Preservation

Bone Grafting After Tooth Extractions in Matawan, Ocean Township, Freehold, & Old Bridge

Are you having a tooth extracted or preparing to have a dental implant placed?

If your dentist has referred you to an oral surgeon and recommended socket preservation, you’re in the right place: our board-certified oral surgeons are the best in the state!

What is socket preservation?

Socket preservation is a small bone graft that we place in your socket after we’ve extracted a tooth.

The bone graft takes the place of the tooth root, and we secure a collagen membrane on to of the graft to enhance bone growth.

When is socket preservation needed?

Leaving a socket to heal on its own after a tooth extraction is one option, and as top oral surgeons, we often seek to preserve the socket with a bone graft to prepare the area for dental implant placement.

The socket bone graft fills the small hole in your gums that is left once the tooth’s roots have been removed.

The Importance of Socket Preservation

The risk of letting your socket heal on its own rather than undergoing socket preservation is the chance that the naturally forming blood clot in the socket protecting the area is knocked loose.

When this happens, patients usually experience dry socket, a very painful condition.

Another potential problem that can arise when a socket is left to heal naturally is that the socket heals incorrectly, causing deformities in the alveolar ridge. Implant placement is much more complicated when there are bone deformities present.

What’s the purpose of socket preservation?

What most people don’t realize is that our teeth provide stimulation to the jawbone through chewing.

Biting pressure encourages the growth of new bone tissue, bulking up the jawbone and keeping it healthy. When we extract a tooth, deterioration of the bone sets in right away because the tooth is no longer there to provide stimulation.

We use socket preservation to prevent bone loss and build up the ridge which helps maintain the natural shape of the jaw.

Socket preservation prevents bone loss and the following dental benefits.

• A healthy jawbone preserves the contours of your face, preventing a caved in smile due to tooth loss.
• Teeth alignment is maintained because shifting doesn’t when there’s no space/gaps between teeth.
• A complication-free implant process requires sufficient bone mass.

Socket Preservation Process

We typically place a device in your socket once we’ve removed a tooth, filling the small hole that’s left and then covering it with a collagen film. We use sutures to close and protect the wound.

How do I care for my socket?

As the site heals and you wait for your implant placement, be gentle when you brush and even refrain from brushing the first couple days.

Do not smoke or use a straw because these activities can disrupt the healing process and even lead to complications.

Dental Implants After Socket Preservation

Socket preservation is just one step in the process.

Next stop?

Dental implant placement! Call us today if you’re ready to get started!