When Is Dental Bone Smoothing and Reshaping Needed

Dentures are great, comfortable dental replacement solutions, but if the jawbone that they rest on is not perfectly even, the dentures might shift or move around, they might fall out unexpectedly and they might even affect the patient’s digestion and their ability to chew food. The risk of developing an uneven jawbone is especially high in the case that multiple, adjacent teeth need to be extracted. The procedure used for ensuring that the jawbone is even is called bone smoothing and reshaping, also known as alveoplasty– here are some things that you should know about the method:

• The steps of the procedure – alveoplasty starts with anesthesia to numb the surgical area, then the jawbone ridge is exposed creating a gum tissue flap. The shape of the exposed bone is corrected with the help of bone files and drills, then the smoothness of the bone is verified and the gum tissue flap is reattached to close the surgical area. In some cases, the smoothing is performed along with the multiple extractions;
• The surgical area usually heals in 4-6 weeks. When the healing is complete, the denture construction can begin and the patient is ready for receiving the denture and for wearing it without any discomfort or difficulty.  Other options like Skokie dental implant may be a consideration for those with denture discomfort.