Socket preservation helps protect the bone in your jaw after you lose or remove a tooth. After an extraction, the bone that once supported the tooth no longer receives stimulation from the tooth root. As a result, the jawbone can gradually shrink and change shape.
During socket preservation, your dentist places a bone grafting material into the empty tooth socket after extraction. The graft helps maintain the size and shape of the area while your jaw heals. Your body gradually integrates the graft material into the surrounding bone, helping preserve the foundation of your smile.
Why Does Socket Preservation Matter?
Socket preservation can play an important role if you plan to replace your missing tooth with a dental implant. Dental implants require adequate bone volume and density for proper support. Preserving the socket after extraction can help maintain the bone needed for future implant placement.
Socket preservation also helps maintain the natural contours of your jaw and gums, which can support a more natural-looking result when you replace the missing tooth.
Call Your Dentist in Mt. Pleasant, SC
Your dentist evaluates your oral health, the extraction site, and your future tooth-replacement plans to determine whether socket preservation makes sense for you. Planning this treatment before extraction allows your dentist to protect the area from the start.
Call us today to learn more or book your consultation.