Ridge Augmentation
Hillsboro, OR
 While getting a tooth extracted is a relatively simple and straight-forward dental procedure, extra care must be taken to preserve the underlying tissue and bone structure. This material will play an important role in the health of your adjacent teeth and can influence the success of future restorations, such as dental implants. It is for this reason that our professionals at Beaverton Oral Surgeons offer ridge augmentation as part of dental extractions. During ridge augmentation, our team recreates and reshapes your alveolar ridge's natural height and shape to protect your bone and gum tissue. Completing this procedure as soon as your tooth is removed can eliminate the need for more involved and potentially less successful future grafts.
What is a Dental Ridge?
A dental or alveolar ridge is the bone that encompasses the roots of the tooth. Sometimes, this material is left intact when a tooth is extracted. However, it is far more likely that at least some of this ridge is damaged or lost when the tooth is removed. This is especially true if the tooth had to be broken into fragments prior to removal. Once a portion of this ridge is lost, continued deterioration and resorption are inevitable.
Will I Be Ready for Dental Implants After Ridge Augmentation?
While ridge augmentation is a great procedure to protect your existing jawbone and soft-tissue from wasting away, it does not necessarily mean that you will be ready for dental implants immediately. In order to determine if you are prepared for implants, our professionals will need to gather digital images of your oral cavity and complete a thorough oral exam. To have a successful implant procedure, your gums and jaw must be strong and healthy enough to support dental implants. These additional steps are required so that our team can examine other areas of your mouth and jaw that were not treated with the ridge augmentation procedure.
Advantages of Ridge Augmentation
One of the primary advantages of ridge augmentation is that it does allow for implant placement in patients who may otherwise not be allowed to get such a prosthesis. Initially, dental implant placement was surgically driven, with the implant being encased fully within the host bone. This approach was limited by anatomical complications and aesthetic preferences, however. Fortunately, these drawbacks have been largely overcome by the aid of a bone graft. For patients who may not have adequate bone mass in their jaw, a ridge augmentation procedure can help allow them to become candidates for a dental implant.
Potential Risks of Ridge Augmentation
Like in every operation, surgery to facilitate bone growth in the jaw is not without risk. There can be several complications linked to surgical bone grafts. Some of these may be extreme and may impact the outcome of your treatment, necessitating additional surgeries, and treatment to correct complications. If you would like to learn more about the benefits of ridge augmentation or are ready to start your journey to receiving dental implants, it is important that you pick the right team for the job. Our highly skilled professionals at Beaverton Oral Surgeons are that team. You can schedule your appointment by calling our office at (503) 646-7101 today. |
