Tooth Extraction and Bone

Thousands of teeth are extracted annually, in the United States alone, primarily because of decay, severe periodontal disease, infection, or trauma. The jaw bone that supports the teeth, "alveolar bone", which is generally soft and vascular, often melts away or resorbs following tooth removal. Such bone resorption can result in significant cosmetic or functional defects, including loss of surrounding gum tissue. Today, however, bioengineering has led to simple but effective surgical techniques that can either totally prevent or greatly reduce the bone and soft tissue loss that normally occurs following extraction

Tooth extraction is one of the most common dental procedures. Healing of the resulting extraction socket normally occurs uneventfully. However, even with completely normal healing, there is often some resorption or melting away of surrounding bone. Resulting in less height and width than were present prior to tooth extraction. In addition, as bone resorbs, overlying gum tissue also tends to lose both volume and its normal anatomic form. These changes can occur anywhere in the mouth but the most severe loss of bone and gum tissue tends to occur following the removal of incisor teeth located in the front of the mouth.