Alveoloplasty

What is alveoloplasty?

Alveoloplasty is a common dental procedure often performed following a tooth extraction. This procedure helps recreate the natural contour of the gums and jaw that may have been lost due to bone loss from tooth extraction, or for another reason.

The alveolar ridge of the jaw is the bone that surrounds the roots of teeth. When a tooth is removed an empty socket is left in the alveolar ridge bone. Usually, this empty socket will heal on its own, filling with bone and tissue. Sometimes when a tooth has been removed the bone surrounding the socket breaks and is unable to heal on its own. The previous height and width of the socket will continue to deteriorate.

Rebuilding the original height and width of the alveolar ridge is not always medically necessary, but may be required for dental implant placement or for aesthetic purposes. Dental implants require bone to support their structure and a ridge augmentation can help rebuild this bone to accommodate the implant.

Does alveoloplasty hurt?

Alveoloplasty is a relatively simple procedure that can be done under local anesthesia and sedation, so you will not feel any pain during the process. The surgery takes about an hour and it is usually done on an outpatient basis, meaning that you will be able to go home after surgery.

How long does it take to heal from Alveoplasty?

Alveoloplasty dental is a procedure that is used to correct some of the problems that occur in the upper jaw. It can be done as a part of other treatments or on its own. The procedure removes some of the bone and reshapes it so that it can support a dental implant. The surgery usually takes about an hour to complete and recovery time is usually around two weeks. The surgery is done under general anesthesia and patients will need someone to drive them home after the procedure is completed. Recovery time can vary depending on how much bone was removed during the surgery, but most people are able to return to work after one week following their procedure.

How is alveoloplasty accomplished?

Alveoloplasty is accomplished by placing bone graft material in the tooth socket. It is often done immediately after the tooth is removed to avoid the need for a second procedure later. Next, the gum tissue is placed over the socket and secured with sutures. Dr. Hille, Dr. Henriksen or Dr. Holleman may choose to use a space-maintaining product over the top of the graft to facilitate new bone growth. Once the socket has healed, the alveolar ridge can be prepared for dental implant placement.

An alveoloplasty procedure is typically performed in Drs. Hille, Henriksen and Holleman’s office during the extraction procedure.