What is a Ridge Augmentation?
Following a tooth extraction, a ridge augmentation is commonly performed by our oral surgeon to recreate the natural contour of the gums and jaw that have been lost. The bone that surrounds the roots of your teeth is called the alveolar ridge. An empty socket is left in the alveolar ridge bone when a tooth is lost or extracted. In most cases, the empty socket will heal on its own and bone and tissues will grow, filling it. However, the bone surrounding the socket will occasionally break, making the alveolar ridge unable to heal on its own. If this is the case, the height and width of the socket will deteriorate.
The alveolar ridge has its height and width restored for dental implant placement or to improve aesthetics. To rebuild the bone in your jaw so that a dental implant can be placed, our oral surgeon will perform a ridge augmentation in Omaha, Nebraska. This procedure is often performed immediately after extraction so that a second procedure can be avoided later.
How is the Oral Surgery Accomplished?
During a ridge augmentation, Dr. Michael Shnayder will place bone graft material in the socket of the missing tooth. The gum tissue is then placed back over the socket and held in place with sutures. A space-maintaining product may be placed over the top of the graft to restore the height and width of the space. New bone should grow in this space. After the socket heals, our oral surgeon can prepare the alveolar ridge for dental implant placement. A ridge augmentation is usually performed in Dr. Michael Shnayder’s office under local anesthesia. Some patients may request additional sedative medication.
We invite you to contact Village Pointe Oral Surgery today to learn more and to schedule an appointment.
