People who have lost their teeth through extractions often think that the problem is over for their jawbone. However, it is very important to have a jawbone area or ridge preservation treatment done following extraction in order to prevent bone loss. Generally, when a tooth is pulled out, the underlying jawbone goes through drastic changes. With its basic role of supporting the root of the tooth gone, your jawbone has no other purpose left fulfill. So, it gradually dissolves and releases its minerals if left untreated. In order to prevent such a problem, your dentist will perform a bone graft to fill the empty socket. Without a process like this, you could easily develop a sunken mouth that gives the appearance of old age and facial sagging. The bone graft is also useful in preparing the socket for a dental implant or another restorative procedure. This is a minimally invasive procedure and patients don’t have to wait until they have lost significant tissue and bone to get ridge preservation treatment done. It is recommended that the procedure be done at the same time as having a tooth extracted or a few weeks after. As a result, the earlier you undergo a bone grafting procedure the easier it will get to protect your bone from loss. To learn more about this, give our office a call or a visit today.
