Your dentist will always have a goal of preserving your natural teeth, but sometimes a dental extraction is a necessary last resort. Usually the reasons are that decay or infection has progressed so severely that other treatment options can no longer protect your health. A dental extraction is done when it is necessary to protect your overall health and the health of your smile. While the extractions of wisdom or baby teeth may not, most extractions of adult teeth should be followed by a replacement of the extracted tooth. Preserving the area with extraction site preservation is a good way to ensure that the tooth can be safely replaced.
Losing a tooth can weaken that area or site of your jaw. To strengthen the extraction site, your doctor can fill in the area with bone grafting or with a bio-compatible substitute. This can help to prevent the loss of bone density in your jaw. Preserving the site can help provide a strong foundation to support a dental replacement. The stronger foundation can also provide a fortified area to place a dental implant. Preserving the site of the extraction not only helps with replacing the extracted tooth, but it also adds stability to the surrounding structure of your remaining teeth.
The nerves and roots of your teeth stimulate your jawbone. When a tooth is removed, the bone loses some of the stimulation from the roots and nerves. Without that stimulation, your body will assume that the bone is no longer necessary leading to a process called bone resorption. Bone resorption causes the demineralization of your jawbone, which can weaken and soften it over time. Site preservation can prevent bone resorption, which can prevent the loss of bone density in your jaw. With extraction site preservation, your jawbone can stay fortified and strong.
When you have a tooth extracted, you should consider site preservation. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Ernesto Carmona, Jr. at Austin Prosthodontics, call 512-250-9444. We also proudly welcome patients from Cedar Park, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Leander, and all surrounding Texas communities.