If you need dentures, you may need alveoloplasty (sometimes called alveoplasty). This is a simple surgery in which the jawbone is reshaped in certain areas to ensure that your dentures fit comfortably and securely.

When a tooth is removed or is lost because of serious decay, injury, severe periodontal disease or an accident, it leaves a hole in the jawbone. While the gum tissues will heal over the jawbone in these areas, the loss of the tooth leaves high and low points on the underlying jawbone. If these spots are not smoothed out, they can cause your dentures to fit poorly and result in sore spots. Over time, the area of the jaw that is missing teeth will also lose bone, resulting in thinning in the top ridge, which also makes it difficult for your dentures to fit properly. To ensure that we can achieve an optimal denture fit, our dentists may recommend alveoloplasty.

In alveoloplasty, our dentists will make a careful incision in the gum tissue, allowing us to access the bone and gently smooth out uneven areas and prepare the jaw to receive dentures. For many patients, alveoloplasty can be completed at the same time as tooth extraction. To learn more and find out if alveoloplasty is right for you, we invite you to contact our office today.