One might think “well what kind of silly question is that?” Or you might think, what do you mean by that?  Chances are, whether or not it is an obvious answer to that question, the actual answer is, in fact, very important.  The bony substance in our jaws / head is responsible for properly supporting the teeth and gums that lie upon them.  Without this very important matter, our gums or teeth would come loose predictably.  Dentists, periodontists (gum specialists), and hygienists alike have since the beginning preached about the importance of properly brushing our teeth and gums.  Not only does keeping plaque and tartar off our teeth prevent cavities, but it also prevents the prevalence of gum disease and infections, which may ultimately work into the blood stream and to the heart.  Moreover, proper dental hygiene prevents bone loss, which can place our teeth at risk.

Assuming one has been unlucky to have lost a tooth in a mouth due to bad luck with a failing root canal or a fractured tooth, then what?  Once a tooth has been lost or removed from the mouth, the body has an immense ability to try to heal itself.  The problem with that is it doesn’t always do that in the most efficient manner. The hole or socket left behind is a void that the body attempts to fill in with a very inefficient manner.  Like a tree trunk that has been taken out with a dirt hole left behind, dirt from the sides of the hole will fall in towards the center of the hole until things “even out.”  In the oral cavity the same process happens.  The body takes healthy bone and removes it from the neighboring teeth to fill in the void as part of the healing and remodeling process.  What this means is several things:

1. There results in insufficient bone in the previous socket to support the gums for functioning and chewing to “handle the load”
2. Insufficient bone support for a future dental implant for a replacement tooth to restore function and aesthetics
3. The remodeling process of removal bone from neighboring teeth results in less bone support for those said teeth long term, placing them at potential risk.

This leads to the fact that immediately replacing the just created socket hole with bone graft material is imperative.  There are different graft materials and product available in the market, yet at Nu Smile Center for Aesthetic & Restorative Dentistry; we utilize a freeze dried bone allograft that has the highest propensity for the human body to accept with the greatest efficacy and integration speed.  This means a much better overall result for the extraction site preservation and ideal conditions for a future dental implant to replace the missing tooth should that be considered.  After the immediate grafting of the site has occurred, the maturation, full integration, and readiness for an implant can be anywhere from 3 months to 5 months depending on the area of the mouth and the specific situation and needs of the patient.

From there we truly have a solid foundation for mutually protecting the bone levels of neighboring teeth and for a future dental implant.  Feel free to contact us at if you have further questions about this amazing and very important procedure!