Ridge Preservation and Augmentation in Lakewood, WA

For many patients in Lakewood and Tacoma, the path to a new smile begins with a strong foundation. When a tooth is lost or extracted, the surrounding bone (the alveolar ridge) can rapidly deteriorate, losing its height and width. At the office of Dr. Kevin Kim, DDS, we use Ridge Preservation and Augmentation to stop this bone loss and rebuild the jaw. As a specialized Dental Implant Periodontist, Dr. Kim uses these procedures to ensure that your jawbone is thick and strong enough to support a permanent dental implant, ensuring your new smile looks natural and lasts a lifetime.

Ridge Preservation: Keeping What You Have

Ridge Preservation (often called socket preservation) is a proactive step taken immediately after a tooth is extracted. When a tooth is removed, the empty socket begins to collapse because it no longer has a root to support. To prevent this, Dr. Kim places specialized bone grafting material directly into the socket at the time of extraction. This acts as a “scaffold,” encouraging your body to fill the space with new, living bones. By acting quickly, our patients at Kim Dental Implants we can often avoid more invasive bone grafting procedures later on.

Ridge Augmentation: Rebuilding What was Lost

If your teeth have been missing for months or even years, you may have already experienced significant bone loss. In these cases, Dr. Kim performs Ridge Augmentation. This is a more comprehensive procedure where bone grafting material is used to reconstruct the natural contours of your jaw that have shrunk away. Whether you need Horizontal Augmentation to widen a narrow ridge or Vertical Augmentation to increase bone height, Dr. Kim’s expertise in Advanced Bone and Tissue Preparation makes it possible for many who were once told they “weren’t candidates” to finally receive dental implants.

Why Choose Dr. Kevin Kim for Your Bone Health?

At our Lakewood office, we believe that high-tech planning leads to better results. Dr. Kim uses CBCT 3D Imaging to map your jaw in three dimensions, allowing him to see exactly where bone is missing and precisely where to place the graft. We also frequently use Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF), a concentrate of your own healing cells, to speed up recovery and improve the quality of the new bone. This meticulous approach is why families from Steilacoom, University Place, and Clover Park trust us with their complex dental needs.

Understanding the science of bone healing can help you feel more comfortable with your treatment. For further reading on how ridge procedures ensure implant success, you can visit the American Academy of Periodontology or explore the Mayo Clinic’s guide to dental bone grafting. Dr. Kevin Kim, DDS is dedicated to providing the specialized surgical care needed to give your smile the stable foundation it deserves.