Removal of teeth is sometimes necessary because of pain, infection, bone loss or fracture of the tooth. The bone that holds the tooth in place (the socket) is often damaged by disease and/or infection resulting in deformity of the jaw after the tooth is extracted. In addition, when teeth are extracted, the surrounding bone and gums can shrink and recede very quickly after the extraction resulting in unsightly defects and collapse of the lips, and cheeks. These jaw defects can create major problems in performing restorative dentistry whether your treatment involves dental implants, bridges or dentures.

A ridge augmentation 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 due to bone loss as a result of a tooth extraction, or for another reason. The alveolar ridge of the jaw is the bone that surrounds the roots of teeth. When a tooth is removed, an empty socket is left in the alveolar ridge bone. Usually this empty socket will heal on its own, filling with bone and tissue.

Periodontal disease is a serious infection under your gum line. ARESTIN® (minocycline hydrochloride) is an antibiotic that kills the bacteria that cause the infection. ARESTIN® starts working quickly, right at the source of infection, and keeps fighting bacteria long after you leave the dental office. 1,2 ARESTIN® fights infection and inflammation for 30 days,2 and provides significantly better results than scaling and root planing alone for up to 90 days.3

Dr. Hector L. Sarmiento graduated with a degree in Dental Medicine from the Universidad Cuauhtemoc in Mexico, where he then received training in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. He received his American dental license from the University of Rochester. Dr. Sarmiento also received his specialty certificate in Periodontics and his Masters in Oral Biology from the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated with honors. During his training Dr. Sarmiento was named the J.