Socket Preservation

Socket preservation helps protect your jawbone and facial structure after a tooth extraction, maintaining the strength and contour of the area.

What Is Socket Preservation?

Socket preservation, also known as ridge preservation, involves placing bone graft material into the socket right after a tooth is removed. While it cannot completely prevent bone loss, it helps minimize shrinkage and maintain the bone’s shape for future restoration.

How Socket Preservation Supports Long-Term Oral Health

Bone loss can start within weeks after an extraction and may reduce ridge width by up to half within the first year. Socket preservation helps prevent this shrinkage and maintains the natural contour of your jaw and gums.

Key benefits include:

• Maintains bone volume for future dental implants or bridges
• Prevents collapse of the gum and facial tissues
• Promotes natural bone regeneration
• Reduces the need for more extensive grafting later

The Socket Preservation Process

At Periodontal Associates, socket preservation is often performed immediately after tooth extraction. Especially when patients have compromised adjacent teeth or are looking for tooth replacements with implant therapy. 

Here’s what to expect:

1. Tooth removal: The tooth is carefully extracted to preserve as much surrounding bone as possible.
2. Bone graft placement: Bone substitute material is placed into the empty socket to fill the space.
3. Barrier protection: A thin membrane may be placed over the graft to stabilize it and guide healing.
4. Healing: Over the next few months, the graft material integrates with your natural bone, preserving the site for long-term stability.

After the area fully heals, it can provide a stable foundation for a dental implant.

Healing and Aftercare

After socket preservation, mild tenderness or swelling is common for the first few days. Most patients can resume normal activities within a day or two. To support proper healing:

• Avoid disturbing the grafted area or applying pressure while it heals.
• Stick to soft foods for the first few days and avoid drinking through straws.
• Maintain gentle oral hygiene, keeping the area clean without brushing directly on the site.
• Attend all follow-up visits so your periodontist can monitor bone development and integration.

Full healing usually takes about 3 to 6 months, depending on the graft size and your body’s natural bone response.

Bone Grafting and Implant Timeline

After a socket preservation procedure, the grafted bone needs time to heal and strengthen before an implant can be placed. This process typically takes three to six months, depending on the size of the graft and your body’s natural healing response.

In some cases, when bone quality and stability allow, the implant can be placed at the same time as the graft. This immediate approach can reduce the number of procedures and shorten the overall treatment timeline while still supporting healthy bone around the implant.

Why Patients Choose Periodontal Associates

For nearly 50 years, Periodontal Associates has provided trusted, specialty care in Centennial and Aurora, CO. Our periodontists combine surgical expertise with advanced digital technology to deliver precise, minimally invasive results.

Patients choose us because we:

• Have decades of combined experience in bone grafting and implant therapy
• Use 3D imaging and guided surgical planning for accuracy and comfort
• Tailor every treatment plan to individual bone and gum health
• Work closely with general dentists to coordinate complete care
• Offer IV sedation through certified anesthetists for a calm, supportive experience

Whether you’re preparing for a dental implant or simply want to protect your oral health after an extraction, our team provides personalized care to help you achieve lasting results.

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