When a tooth is removed, the bone that surrounded its root loses its purpose and begins to resorb. This happens faster than most people expect: a significant proportion of the ridge width can be lost within the first six months, and the change is permanent. Socket preservation places graft material into the socket at the time of extraction to limit that collapse.
Why it matters
If you are considering an implant later, ridge width is exactly what the implant needs. Preserving it at extraction is far simpler and less costly than rebuilding it afterwards with a lateral ridge augmentation. Even if you are not planning an implant, a preserved ridge gives better support and a better fit for a bridge or denture, and avoids the visible dip in the gum that can appear in the aesthetic zone.
Your dentist at Parkway Dental will usually raise socket preservation before an extraction rather than after, because the opportunity exists only at the time the tooth comes out.
What to expect
The tooth is removed as atraumatically as possible, protecting the thin bony walls of the socket. The socket is cleaned of any infected tissue and packed with graft material — this may be processed human, bovine or synthetic bone mineral, all of which act as a scaffold that your own bone grows into. A membrane is often placed over the top to hold the graft and keep soft tissue from growing in, then the gum is sutured.
The additional time compared with a straightforward extraction is usually modest.
Healing
Recovery is much like a normal extraction — swelling and discomfort for a few days. Avoid disturbing the site: no vigorous rinsing, straws or smoking for the first 24 hours, and avoid pressing on the area with your tongue.
Some small granules may occasionally work loose in the first days, which is usually not a problem, but tell us if it seems like more than a few. The graft takes about four to six months to mature into bone that can receive an implant.