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Tooth Socket Graft in Fairbanks, AK At Fairbanks Periodontal Associates, we conduct a socket graft procedure if we find it necessary after we extract your tooth. In most instances, it is necessary to conduct the procedure to preserve the socket in case you want a dental implant. A socket is a hole that remains when your tooth is extracted. It is never advisable to leave this hole empty, especially if the teeth extracted were non-wisdom teeth. The socket ought to be filled with something on the same day. Our dentist will either recommend a dental implant or a socket graft. What is a Socket Graft?A socket graft is a bone graft that is used to fill up a tooth socket once your teeth are extracted. The socket graft can be a piece from bone extracted from an animal such as a cow or a human bone. The bone can be extracted from another human, or your own body. Our dentists will determine where to source the graft depending on the size of the socket. Once the graft is in the socket, the fresh ridges will support it until it bonds with the jawbone. The graft returns the favor by supporting the ridges once it has settled in. Our dentist will cover the graft with a collagen membrane and suture the opening to ensure it stays closed and protected. Why Must You Get a Socket Graft?You must have come across someone who has lost most or all of their teeth for one reason or the other. If they have stayed for long without teeth, their gums and mouth become disfigured. This is as a result of jawbone loss. When a tooth is extracted, and the hole is left empty, jawbone loss occurs. The mouth might not get disfigured since there are other teeth on the gums, but the teeth start losing their positions. The teeth adjacent to the socket will start gradually collapsing into the space left. All the teeth on that jaw might end up weak and misaligned. A socket graft fills up the empty space left behind to avoid the shifting or drifting of the other teeth. You can have dental implants installed later on when you are ready. Note that the socket graft does not fill the tooth gap, but rather the socket in the jawbone. If you need the tooth gap to be filled, you’ll have to come back to our dentist. They will remove the socket graft, plant a dental implant, and then attach a crown or bridge. A socket graft will help you avoid a bone grafting procedure when you finally decide to get a dental implant. The procedure is often quite invasive, and you might take months to heal. In simple terms, a socket graft goes a long way in avoiding most of the complications that might arise after tooth extraction. Call Fairbanks Periodontal Associates at (907) 455-7100 today if you need to know more about socket grafting. It is an essential procedure that you should know about while seeking tooth extraction. |
Fairbanks Periodontal Associates
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