In the past, when dentists pulled teeth, they merely worried about controlling pain and bleeding, and left it up the body to heal the extraction site on its own. Now, we know that while this is still appropriate in some cases, in many cases an unfilled extraction site can lead to serious long term problems in that part of the mouth.

We now know that once a tooth is pulled (and left unfilled), the bone at that point begins to shrink away, a process called "resorption". This process is not immediate, but takes 24-36 months and sometimes longer. The result of this resorption is that there is less bone surrounding the adjacent teeth, which can later increase the risk of losing those teeth also. The loss of bone can also cause complications with your dental prosthetic options like bridges, dentures, or implants, which may no longer have a good base of bone for support.

By filling the bone space where the tooth roots were with a suitable bone grafting material, your dentist can avoid these long-term outcomes and help you maintain optimum dental health despite the loss of your tooth.

What is the procedure like?

Once your doctor extracts one or more teeth, they will clean loose tissue from the extraction socket, then gently score the bone below to release bone growth proteins. The grafting material is inserted into the site and it is sutured closed. On some occasions an artificial membrane or other material may be needed to achieve proper closure of the site.

Is the procedure painful?

In almost all cases your dentist will have administered a local or general anesthetic as part of the extraction procedure, so you should not experience any additional pain as result of this procedure.