The best way to ensure that there will be adequate bone for dental implant placement is to preserve all of the existing bone when a tooth is extracted. This begins with atraumatic removal of the hopeless tooth, taking care to preserve all of the existing bone that forms the socket with complete removal of all infected tissue and residual debris. At the same appointment the socket is filled with freeze dried bone, a collagen wound dressing and sutured. If part of the socket wall has been destroyed by infection as is often the case, then additional reconstruction using regenerative membranes to contain the bone graft may also be necessary. The socket graft minimizes the likelihood of postoperative bleeding and dry socket. The site is typically mature enough for implant placement four to six months after the tooth is removed.
