What Is Bone Preservation and Why Does It Matter?

April 21, 2023

Your teeth are supported by bone in your jaw called alveolar bone. This supporting bone plays an integral role in keeping your teeth anchored in place. However, in order for alveolar bone to remain healthy and strong, it needs to be stimulated by your tooth’s roots.

When you lose a natural tooth and don’t replace it shortly after, the body will naturally absorb this bone over time [1]. After all, your body perceives the bone as being no longer necessary after the tooth loss and the absence of roots.

However, preserving this bone is essential, not just for your facial aesthetics and tooth alignment, but for having the option of dental implants when you are ready to restore your smile.

How to Preserve Bone After a Lost Tooth

Bone in the jaw is not automatically preserved after tooth loss, whether the loss was due to gum disease, tooth decay, or trauma, or if the tooth needed to be extracted. Your dentist may not automatically preserve the bone in this area, even though preserving it immediately after the extraction is best.

In order to preserve the bone after a missing tooth, bone augmentation is essentially done at the time of the extraction in a bone preservation procedure [2]. This helps the patient avoid a bone graft later on after the area has already healed, and would require a separate surgical procedure.

Your body will integrate this bone with your natural jawbone, which allows the area to be ready for a dental implant when it is time for the procedure.

Why Is Bone Preservation Important?

Bone preservation, sometimes called socket preservation, allows patients to avoid the natural bone loss that happens after a natural tooth is lost. In doing so, bone preservation can eliminate the need for a bone graft and help the patient have a tooth site that is essentially ready for dental implant placement.

Perhaps more importantly, bone preservation helps prevent the shifting of teeth that happens after a natural tooth is lost. As the bone surrounding the missing tooth degenerates, the neighboring teeth will naturally shift to fill in the gap left by the missing tooth, which can cause alignment and bite changes that would need to be corrected prior to dental implant placement.

With bone preservation, patients can consider implant therapy sooner without the need for a bone graft, which can extend treatment time and increase the overall cost of implant therapy [3].

Ask Your Dentist About Bone Preservation

If you need to have a tooth extracted, ask your dentist about bone preservation prior to your procedure. Bone preservation can help ensure your mouth is ready for implant placement and help you restore your smile faster and potentially for a lower cost than without it.