Which procedure is used to contour and smooth the margins of the tooth socket after an extraction?

Which procedure is used to contour and smooth the margins of the tooth socket after an extraction?

• A. Alveoplasty
• B. Suturing
• C. Curettage
• D. Extraction

Answer: (A)

Contouring and smoothing the alveolar ridge after a tooth is removed is done with alveoplasty. This procedure reshapes the remaining bone, removing sharp edges and irregularities so the socket and surrounding ridge have a smooth, rounded contour as healing begins. That smooth contour helps the soft tissues heal without catching on jagged bone and provides a better foundation for future dentures or implants, as well as more predictable prosthetic outcomes. The process typically uses rotary instruments to shave and smooth the bone, with care to preserve as much height as possible and to avoid unnecessary removal. Suturing closes the wound, but it doesn’t alter the bone margins. Curettage cleans out the socket of debris and granulation tissue, still not addressing the bone contour. Extraction is simply the removal of the tooth, not the post-extraction shaping.

Contouring and smoothing the alveolar ridge after a tooth is removed is done with alveoplasty. This procedure reshapes the remaining bone, removing sharp edges and irregularities so the socket and surrounding ridge have a smooth, rounded contour as healing begins. That smooth contour helps the soft tissues heal without catching on jagged bone and provides a better foundation for future dentures or implants, as well as more predictable prosthetic outcomes. The process typically uses rotary instruments to shave and smooth the bone, with care to preserve as much height as possible and to avoid unnecessary removal. Suturing closes the wound, but it doesn’t alter the bone margins. Curettage cleans out the socket of debris and granulation tissue, still not addressing the bone contour. Extraction is simply the removal of the tooth, not the post-extraction shaping.