Socket Preservation in Lakewood, WA

When a tooth is extracted, the journey to a new smile begins immediately. However, many patients in Lakewood and Tacoma don’t realize that the jawbone begins to change the moment a tooth is removed. Without the tooth root to provide stimulation, the surrounding bone can shrink by as much as 30% to 60% within just six months. At the office of Dr. Kevin Kim, DDS, we use a proactive technique called Socket Preservation (also known as Alveolar Ridge Preservation) to stop this collapse before it starts. By treating the extraction site right away, Dr. Kim ensures you have the height and width of bone necessary for a successful dental implant later on.

The process of socket preservation is straightforward and is usually performed during the same appointment as your tooth extraction. Once the tooth is gently removed, Dr. Kim cleans the empty socket and fills it with specialized bone grafting material. This material acts as a “scaffold,” providing a structure that supports your body’s natural bone-building cells. As a Dental Implant Periodontist, Dr. Kim often places a protective membrane over the graft and secures it with a few small sutures. Over the next three to four months, your body naturally replaces the grafting material with your own strong, living bone.

Why Socket Preservation is a Game-Changer

Choosing socket preservation at Dr. Kim’s Office offers several critical benefits for your long-term oral health:

• Preserves Bone Volume: It maintains the natural shape and density of your jaw, preventing the “sunken” look that can occur after tooth loss.
• Simplifies Future Implants: By keeping the ridge intact, it often eliminates the need for more invasive and expensive bone grafting surgeries down the road.
• Protects Adjacent Teeth: It provides a stable environment that prevents neighboring teeth from shifting or tilting into the empty space.
• Better Aesthetic Results: For teeth in the “smile zone,” preserving the bone ensures that your future dental implant looks like it’s growing naturally from your gums.

Dr. Kevin Kim uses CBCT 3D Imaging to evaluate the site and select the best grafting material for your specific needs, whether it’s your own bone, donor bone, or a synthetic substitute. We also frequently use Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF), a concentrate of your own healing cells, to accelerate the regeneration process. For our neighbors near JBLM and University Place, this specialized care means a faster, more predictable path to a permanent replacement tooth. To learn more about the importance of ridge maintenance, you can consult the American Academy of Periodontology or the Mayo Clinic’s guide to tooth extraction recovery.