Socket Preservation

Socket preservation is a procedure that reduces bone and soft tissue loss after tooth extraction and is performed immediately after a tooth is removed.

When we lose a tooth — whether it falls out naturally or accidentally, or it is removed professionally — it leaves an open socket where the tooth once sat. It’s common for this bone to simply melt away over time since the body no longer needs it.

Tooth extraction can have a significant impact on facial bone structure. After eight weeks, there is, on average, a 20% horizontal resorption and a 50% reduction of vertical bone wall height. Socket preservation compensates for the biological resorption of the facial bone wall. It aids implant placement and can reduce the need for later bone augmentation. By reducing marginal bone loss on adjacent teeth and accelerating bone formation, it can increase implant survival and success.

Most dentists highly recommend socket preservation as part of any permanent tooth extraction procedure. It helps to maintain the position of remaining teeth and the natural appearance of the gum. Socket preservation should be considered when a tooth has been removed, but the fitting of a replacement needs to be delayed for any reason.

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