What You Should Know

• Bone Loss

  Bone loss always occurs with missing teeth, and the bone defect continues to diminish for the rest of your life. After a tooth is extracted, it leaves behind a socket where the root once was. If nothing is done at the time of extraction, this area sinks in and creates a defect.

  One of the best ways to understand it is to imagine a fence post in mud. If you take that fence post out of the mud and let it rain, there will be a big divot and hole where that post was. After you took that fence post out, if you filled that hole with more mud and packed it tight, no matter how hard it rains, it will still be level with the ground around it.

• Increasing Bone Volume

  One of the most important factors when placing dental implants is the amount of bone volume within your jaw. Having adequate bone is necessary to provide space for the implant to be placed at the correct angulation and to help ensure that the implant does not fail.

  There are many different methods for increasing bone volume for both minor and severe cases ranging from socket preservation after a tooth extraction to sinus lift when the bone is resorbed so badly that it is next to your sinus.