The human body is an astonishingly efficient creation. When a tooth is lost, the bone that once supported it no longer serves a role and begins to deteriorate. The calcium in that bone is then moved and repurposed in other parts of the body.

While this is a sensible procedure, it can negatively affect your dental health. As the bone recedes, the adjacent teeth may begin to slip out of place, resulting in a misaligned bite. Loss of bone density can also impact the look of facial features. Over time, the bone may deteriorate to the point that it is no longer solid or thick enough to sustain a dental implant.

To protect your jaw in the location where your tooth was taken, we can place a collagen plug as a hole filler or a bone grafting operation. This transplant can be constructed of synthetic material, animal, or human bone at Dr. Rice Area Dental. After our dentist places the bone graft in your socket, they usually cover it with a collagen layer before suturing your gum tissue.

Extractions

A tooth extraction removes a tooth that is no longer viable. There are a few reasons why a tooth may need to be extracted, including overcrowding, tooth decay or infection, and damage to the tooth or surrounding area. Sometimes wisdom teeth need to be removed to prevent damage to your mouth.

Other times, teeth become impacted, which means they are trapped beneath the gum line and do not fully erupt. Though this is a common issue, it can cause problems for your oral health. In this case, our dentist may recommend removing the tooth as soon as possible to prevent an infection from occurring in the bone around the tooth. Impacted teeth may also cause crowding issues for nearby teeth and should be removed. They are generally harder to keep clean, leading to unpleasant side effects like bad breath or gum disease. Lastly, if your tooth is severely decayed or damaged and cannot be repaired with a filling or other restoration option, it may be removed to prevent further pain and damage.

Bone Preservation

When a tooth is extracted, it causes a hole in the bone and increases bone loss. When a tooth is removed, the body's natural response is to resorb the surrounding bone because it is no longer needed to hold the tooth.

It is critical to protect the bone since it can influence the therapy you pick to replace your missing tooth. Socket preservation following the tooth extraction is advantageous for those who intend to get dental implants. Dental implants implanted in a preserved socket have a greater success rate due to enhanced bone support. 

Visit Dr. Rice Area Dental at 3712 Canyon Lake Dr., Rapid City, SD 57702, or call (605) 342-3939 for the best dental care customized to your unique needs.