Socket Grafting/Ridge Preservation

After a tooth is extracted, normal shrinkage of the bone will occur. The amount of shrinkage is unpredictable. Excessive shrinkage may prevent future placement of implants, create difficulty with your prosthesis, and compromise adjacent teeth or esthetics. It is common to place bone grafting materials into a socket immediately after extraction of a tooth or teeth in cases of multiple extractions. This will help maintain normal bone contours and significantly reduce the shrinkage of bone. The advantages are numerous and include: better implant base, support for adjacent teeth, improvement of aesthetics, and help improve fit and function of your prosthesis. Please ask our staff about this procedure.

Pre-Prosthetic Surgery

The preparation of your mouth before the placement of a prosthesis is referred to as pre-prosthetic surgery.

Some patients require minor oral surgical procedures before receiving a partial or complete denture, in order to ensure the maximum level of comfort. A denture sits on the bone ridge, so it is very important that the bone is the proper shape and size. If a tooth needs to be extracted, the underlying bone might be left sharp and uneven. For the best fit of a denture, the bone might need to be smoothed out or reshaped. Occasionally, excess bone would need to be removed prior to denture insertion.

One or more of the following procedures might need to be performed in order to prepare your mouth for a denture:

• bone smoothing and reshaping
• removal of excess bone
• bone ridge reduction
• removal of excess gum tissue
• exposure of impacted teeth

We will review your particular needs with you during your appointment.