---
title: "What Is Socket preservation (ridge preservation)? Dental Glossary"
description: "Socket preservation, also called ridge preservation, places graft material in the empty socket after a tooth is removed to help keep the shape and height of the..."
url: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/socket-preservation-ridge-preservation
publisher: Town Center Dental
phone: +1-636-273-5866
quote: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/request-appointment
---

Implants

# Socket preservation (ridge preservation)

Socket preservation, also called ridge preservation, places graft material in the empty socket after a tooth is removed to help keep the shape and height of the bone.

After a tooth is pulled, the bone around the empty socket begins to shrink. A review in the NIH library reports that within one year of extraction, on average, half of the ridge width is lost. To limit that, the dentist can fill the socket with [bone graft material](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/bone-graft-material) right after the [extraction](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/tooth-extraction), often covered with a membrane or a stitch. This helps keep enough bone for a later [dental implant](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-implant) or a good fit for a bridge. It adds a step and a healing time, and it is not needed in every case. Your dentist will talk with you about whether it fits. See our [bone grafting](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/services/bone-grafting) page.

[Town Center Dental can helpBone Grafting for Dental Implants](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/services/bone-grafting)

## Related terms

-   [Bone graft material](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/bone-graft-material)
-   [Bone grafting](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/bone-grafting)
-   [Tooth extraction](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/tooth-extraction)
-   [Dental implant](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-implant)
-   [Tooth socket](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/tooth-socket)

## Sources

1.  [NIH PubMed Central: Extraction socket preservation](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7783174/)

## Ready when you are

[Request an appointment](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/request-appointment)[Call (636) 273-5866](tel:+1-636-273-5866)