Tooth Extraction and Planning for Implant Therapy

There comes a time for many dental patients when efforts to save a tooth have been exhausted and the only option is tooth extraction. With recent advancements in technology, tooth replacement with implant therapy has become predictable with expected ,stable longevity of restoration. It may also be considered conservative as the area with the missing tooth is the only area being treated and does not require preparation of the teeth adjacent to the space. With this great option to replace a missing tooth with an implant it becomes necessary for planning, in some cases, to created a more a predicable outcome. When a tooth is extracted, there is sometimes not enough bone to place an implant at the same time that the tooth is extracted. In these cases, it is prudent to perform a grafting procedure called “socket preservation”. This procedure increases the probability of have having enough volume of bone in which to place an implant. The video animation included with the post explains this procedure and why it is advisable in many instances when planning for implant therapy.