A missing tooth can affect more than your appearance. A lost tooth or severe gum disease can also change the shape of your jawbone along the alveolar ridge. This is the area of the jawbone that supports the tooth and, in particular, its roots. With the loss of a tooth, an indentation will be left after the socket has healed. When the shape of this ridge becomes altered, it can impact your appearance and make certain dental restorations more difficult to place. To address this, our dentists may suggest a ridge augmentation.

During your treatment, our dentists will fill the indented area with a bone grafting material or with tissue from your body or a tissue bank. This will rebuild the affected area to accommodate a restoration. This treatment can be very beneficial prior to the placement of a dental implant.

Ideally, a ridge augmentation should be performed as soon as possible after an extraction, if you are considering dental implants, but it can also be performed at a later date. If dental implants are in your future and you would like to find out if you could benefit from ridge augmentation, call our office today for your appointment.