The best way to ensure that the conditions in the mouth remain favourable for the placement of implants, is to start preparing for the implant at the time of extracting an old tooth.
When a tooth is extracted there is always bone loss, and in some cases this can leave the site unable to support an implant. By performing a grafting procedure at the time of extraction, the bone around the extraction site is preserved, and in fact new bone can be generated where the roots of the old tooth used to be. The more bone, the better the chance of having an implant that will last a lifetime.
There is a window of opportunity around the time the tooth is extracted, that allows for successful grafting, so planning is the key. If you need to have a tooth out, ask us about grafting.
It is a very cost effective way of ensuring the success of future dental work, including implants, bridges and even dentures.