Socket Preservation

Socket preservation grafting is done to conserve the bone in the area of the jaw that a dental implant will be placed. The area of the jawbone that holds a tooth in place is called a tooth socket. After a tooth has been removed, the bone that supported this tooth rapidly begins to melt away. When a dental implant surgeon knows that a dental implant will later be placed into this area, a socket preservation grafting procedure is performed to reduce the bone loss in the socket. After the tooth is gently removed, donor bone is inserted into the tooth socket during the socket preservation grafting procedure. The patient’s body uses this donor bone to more rapidly fill the tooth socket with less loss of height and width. The socket preservation grafting procedure can be done right after a tooth removal or a week or two later. There is a waiting period of four to six months after tooth removal before a dental implant is placed into the old tooth’s position.
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