Dr. David Summerford, DMD of North Alabama Periodontics in Huntsville, AL

Because bone loss can occur when one or more teeth are removed, we offer a special service known as ridge preservation to help patients prevent this from happening.

During a ridge preservation procedure, Dr. Summerford will insert a small amount of grafting material in your empty sockets immediately after extracting any teeth. This grafting material will prevent bone tissue from being reabsorbed, preserving what’s already there in the event that you decide to restore your smile with dental implants.

Whenever a tooth within the esthetic zone (within the gummy area in the viewable smile line) is to be extracted or in sites which may later receive dental implants it is advisable to consider socket/ridge preservation bone grafting. Careful management of extraction sockets after tooth extraction prevents unsightly bone loss and provides a better cosmetic outcome for tooth replacement.

Without socket preservation the bone quickly resorbs and 60% of the bone volume can be lost six months after the tooth extraction.  Preserving the bone allows the placement of an implant or a bridge with natural looking crowns.

Ridge preservation is also:

• Minimally invasive with minimal discomfort
• Prepares the site for future placement of a dental implant without additional grafting
• More cost effective and less painful than waiting to have the grafting procedure later
• Preserves a natural looking smile