Ridge Augmentation

For some of our patients, a ridge augmentation might be needed to get their natural gum and jaw contour back after a tooth was lost, extracted, or another process has affected their smiles.
The Center for Family & Implant Dentistry and Dr. MacConnell are skilled in this procedure and will ensure your comfort throughout.

Getting a Bone Graft

After a tooth has been removed, the socket on the ridge of your jaw bone will be empty. Usually, this tooth socket will heal on its own, filling up again with bone and tissue. However, there are cases when the bone around the tooth socket breaks and is therefore unable to heal completely. If this occurs, the socket will simply continue to deteriorate.

As the bone continues to deteriorate, it will get thinner, less dense, and smaller overall. This can affect the jaw in several ways and change the look of your face. When a patient gets ridge augmentation, that jaw ridge can be built back up so that it has the mass it did before the tooth was lost. This is sometimes needed because the patient requires a dental implant, but it can also be done for cosmetic reasons.

Dr. MacConnell places the bone graft material into the empty tooth socket. For convenience and time savings, this is often done during the tooth extraction procedure. Once it has healed, the dentist can give the patient a dental implant.

Treating the Jaw and Face

The bone mass in your jaws gives your face a lot of its support. If this bone deteriorates, it can change how the face appears, and a ridge augmentation may be necessary. If a patient isn’t getting a dental implant but wants a cosmetic procedure to change the way their face looks, getting a ridge augmentation may be an option.

This surgery doesn’t take very long, and you will be kept comfortable throughout the procedure. It is usually done using a local anesthetic that will keep you pain-free. For patients who have anxiety about the procedure, there may be other arrangements that can be made for your comfort.