A ridge expansion is surgical procedure that increases the amount of bone on the jaw ridge where a tooth is missing.
Once a tooth has been extracted, the bone that previously held the tooth is left with a deep depression. Overtime, the body will reabsorb the bone and cause the jaw ridge to recess.
A ridge expansion is a surgical procedure involving the restructure of the jaw ridge so that it is prominent and strong enough to support a dental implant. If the recessed ridge is ignored, the body will not stop reabsorbing the bone and will cause the pocket to continue deepening.
First, the dentist will cleave the gum tissue to expose the jaw ridge.
Next, a space will be inserted into the jaw ridge and filled with bone grafting material.
Lastly, the gum tissue is sutured back to its original position.
We will then wait for the inserted bone material to mature and develop into new bone. Once the bone has matured, we can then proceed with the dental implant.