Bone Graft and Extraction Site Preservation

Whenever a tooth needs to be removed, careful consideration should be given as to what will be done to replace the extracted tooth.  If you want to fill the space with a dental implant, a sturdy jaw bone is necessary to install the implant.  When a tooth is extracted and nothing is done to the extraction site, the jaw bone will usually degenerate and shrink, making it difficult to replace the missing tooth with an implant.  Fortunately, this jaw bone degeneration can be minimized by having the extraction site filled with artificial bone. The filling of the extraction site with artificial bone material is called Extraction Site Preservation or Bone Graft.