Bone around teeth deteriorate from inflammation or infection commonly caused by abscess, gum disease, or fractures. Extraction of such teeth without attention to the bone restoration will leave a major defect that is very difficult to restore and graft later. This is because, once the tooth is extracted, the bone and gum tissue shrink significantly during healing process leading to a 3-dimensional defect. Hence, it is important to have a treatment strategy for restoration of the bone at the time of tooth extraction.
There are many bone grafting solutions for management of such conditions. With the right bone graft material, guided tissue regeneration membrane, fixation technique, and biologics such as platelet rich fibrin, large bony defects can be restored effectively and completely in one procedure providing the foundation for a biologically, functionally, and aesthetically compatible implant-restoration system.
Dr. H. Ryan Kazemi is a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Bethesda, MD