Bone grafting
Bone grafting
A bone graft after tooth extraction—often called socket preservation or ridge preservation is a procedure where grafting material (bone mineral, synthetic, or donor tissue) is placed into the empty socket. This prevents the jawbone from shrinking, maintains structural integrity for future dental implants, and prevents neighboring teeth from shifting.
To preserve the jawbone's height and width, which often shrinks (resorption) after a tooth is removed.
After removing the tooth, the surgeon cleans the socket, adds graft material, and covers it with a membrane or collagen plug to hold it in place.
While initial healing takes about a week, the bone graft typically needs 3 to 6 months to integrate fully,
Essential before placing a dental implant (to ensure enough bone density), supporting a bridge, or preserving a denture's fit.
Grafts can be autograft (your own bone), allograft (human donor), or xenograft (animal bone, usually cow).
Symptoms & Recovery
You may experience mild tenderness, swelling, or bruising. It is normal to feel small, granular, or sandy particles for a few days,