Ridge Preservation

What Is Ridge Preservation?

Ridge preservation is a graft placed into a tooth socket at the time of extraction. Grafting material fills the socket and is covered with a membrane or dressing, so the bone heals with much more of its original height and width than it otherwise would.

Why It Is Done at Extraction Time

The jawbone loses volume fastest in the first months after a tooth is removed — a significant proportion of the ridge width can be gone within the first year. Preserving the site at the moment of extraction is far simpler and more predictable than rebuilding it later.

That preserved bone is what allows an implant to be placed in a good position afterwards, and it keeps the gum contour looking natural under a bridge or denture.

When to Consider It

Ridge preservation is worth discussing whenever a tooth is being removed and you may want an implant later, and particularly in the front of the mouth, where even small collapse of the ridge shows in the shape of the gum. It adds little to the extraction appointment itself, and healing usually runs three to six months before the site is ready.