There are many things to consider when assessing your immediate suitability for dental implants in Oxfordshire. Sometimes there are procedures that must be performed before we can go ahead with your implants. These are to ensure you get the longest possible life from your dental implants in Oxfordshire. One possible procedure some of our patients here at Chipping Norton Dental Implant Centre may need before the implant process is a ridge expansion.

What is a ridge expansion?

Ridge expansion is a technique used to restore the lost bone if the jaw ridge gets too thin to place conventional dental implants. It is a common dental procedure often performed following a tooth extraction to help recreate the natural contour of the gums and jaw that may have been lost because of a tooth extraction, or for another reason.

When a tooth is removed, an empty socket is left in the jawbone. Usually this empty socket will heal on its own, filling with bone and tissue. Sometimes when a tooth is removed, the bone surrounding the socket breaks and won’t heal on its own.

The previous height and width of the socket can continue to deteriorate. Rebuilding the original height and width of the jawbone is not medically necessary, but is required for dental implants placement. Dental implants in Oxfordshire require bone to support their structure and a ridge expansion will help rebuild this bone to accommodate your implants.

How is the procedure performed?

A ridge expansion is accomplished by placing bone graft material in the empty tooth socket. This can be 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.

Your dentist will use a space-maintaining product over the top of the graft to restore the height and width of the space created by the tooth and bone loss and into which new bone should grow. Once the socket has healed, the jawbone can be prepared for dental implant placement.

At Chipping Norton Dental Implant Clinic, we can normally place the implant simultaneously with the ridge expansion to make your dental implants in Oxfordshire as quick and easy as possible.