Socket PreservationProtecting the bone at extraction

When a tooth is removed, the bone around the empty socket starts to shrink straight away. Grafting the socket at the time of extraction limits that shrinkage, so there is still bone in the right place when the tooth is replaced.

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What Happens to an Empty Socket

The socket fills with bone as it heals, but the ridge around it loses width and height at the same time, most of it in the first months, and most noticeably on the cheek side. In the front of the mouth that shows as a dip in the gum; anywhere, it can leave too little bone for an implant without a larger graft later.

Socket preservation places graft material in the socket immediately after a careful, minimally traumatic extraction. It is far simpler to keep bone than to rebuild it later with Guided bone regeneration.

The Procedure

The tooth is removed gently, keeping the thin socket walls intact. The socket is cleaned and filled with bone graft material, often bound with your own PRF as sticky bone. It is then covered with a membrane, a PRF plug, or a small soft-tissue graft, and closed. A temporary tooth can be made so you are not left with a visible gap.

Immediate Implant or Preservation?

Sometimes an implant can go in on the day of the extraction, with grafting around it. That depends on infection at the site, how much bone surrounds the socket, and how stable the implant would be. Where those conditions are not met, socket preservation first and an implant several months later gives a more predictable result. Dr. Samadian plans this from a 3D scan before the extraction.

When It Matters Most

Front teeth, where a collapsed ridge shows in the smile
Teeth with thin bone on the cheek side, or bone already lost to infection
Any site where an implant will be placed later rather than on the day
Under a planned bridge, to keep the gum full under the replacement tooth

Healing and Risks

Recovery is similar to an ordinary extraction, with a few days of soreness and swelling. The graft matures over several months. Risks include infection, partial loss of graft particles through the gum, and less bone retained than planned, sometimes needing further grafting at implant placement.

Related Treatments

Socket Preservation FAQ

Do I need a bone graft after a tooth extraction?

Not always. If you plan to replace the tooth with an implant later, or the tooth is in the smile zone, a socket graft usually makes the later treatment simpler and better looking. If the space will be left or closed by orthodontics, it may not be needed.

How long after socket preservation can I get an implant?

Usually several months, once the graft has matured. Your plan gives the expected timing after Dr. Samadian has seen how the socket heals.

Is socket preservation painful?

It adds very little to the discomfort of the extraction itself and is done under the same local anesthetic.

What is the graft made of?

Usually donor bone or processed animal-derived bone, often mixed with your own PRF so it holds together. The choice is explained before treatment.

Can I get an implant the same day as the extraction?

Sometimes. It depends on infection, the bone around the socket and whether the implant would be stable. A 3D scan before the extraction answers that.

Treating patients throughout San Francisco. Dr. Samadian specializes in treatments such as smile makeovers, porcelain veneers, digital reconstructions, aesthetic dentistry, and dental implants. Focusing on regeneration and restoring tooth structure, bone loss, and gum recession utilizing the latest LANAP laser technology.