What is LARiP? LARiP Ridge Preservation in New City, NY

What Is LARiP?

LARiP stands for Laser-Assisted Ridge Preservation, a technique used to preserve the jawbone ridge after tooth extraction. This advanced procedure prepares the extraction site for future dental implant placement. During the same visit as your tooth extraction, your periodontist uses a dental laser within the socket where the tooth roots were, then places bone graft material. The laser serves multiple functions to improve your body’s ability to heal into the grafted bone material.

The goal of LARiP is to stimulate healing after tooth extraction, producing the ideal height, width, and consistency of jawbone necessary for dental implant placement. Both the quality and quantity of jawbone around a dental implant are important for long-term implant success.

Which Patients Need Ridge Preservation?

The purpose of the bone in the upper and lower jaws is to surround and support the teeth. When teeth are not present, the bone resorbs or shrinks over time. It begins to shrink first in width, becoming narrow. If enough time passes, it will also shrink in height. This bone shrinkage can prevent dental implant restoration of missing teeth.

To counteract this bone shrinkage, your periodontist may recommend ridge preservation at the time of tooth extraction. LARiP involves placing a bone graft after preparing the extraction socket with a laser. This procedure stimulates healthy bone growth into the socket and prevents its collapse.

How Is LARiP Different Than Other Socket Preservation Grafts?

Many periodontists and oral surgeons place socket preservation grafts at the time of tooth extractions to fill in the extraction site and help maintain its width and height while the body heals. Adding the use of a dental laser provides several benefits over grafting alone.

Providing Disinfection for Your Extraction Site

The dental laser has a sterilization effect, killing bacteria present in the socket. Most teeth we extract have an infection present. The toxins produced by bacteria in these infections delay the healing process. By disinfecting the extraction socket with the laser, we remove that barrier to healing.

Initiating the Clotting Process

Our advanced dental laser has many different energy settings and performs different functions. One function is to initiate the clotting process. When blood begins to clot, it changes from a very runny consistency into a gel-like substance.

What Is Hemostasis?

Hemostasis means the bleeding stops while keeping all cells alive. It’s normal for any oral surgery procedure to cause bleeding. Bleeding is an essential part of the healing process. Our laser gives us the ability to control bleeding. We can allow bleeding for the appropriate amount of time to produce optimal healing and then stop it.

This is beneficial for patients with bleeding disorders or taking blood thinner medications. It also makes every patient more comfortable to leave the office without concern over prolonged bleeding.

What Can You Expect from LARiP?

You will not feel any pain during a LARiP procedure. After your periodontist removes the tooth, they will begin using the dental laser. You should not feel anything due to the numbing effect of local anesthetic. You will hear some minor buzzing or clicking sounds as the laser works. The placement of bone graft material requires only very light pressure, which you will not feel.

How Long Is Recovery from LARiP?

There are two phases of recovery from ridge preservation. The initial healing phase involves closure of gum tissue over the extraction socket. Typically, this takes three to six weeks. LARiP speeds healing, and closure can occur as early as two weeks. By following all post-operative instructions, you can ensure your fastest healing.

The underlying jawbone requires a longer healing period. The time necessary for integration of new bone into the jawbone varies by person. It also differs between the upper and lower jaws. Usually, the lower jaw heals more quickly than the upper jaw. The average healing time for bone is three to four months. Your periodontist will monitor this healing phase by taking periodic x-rays to confirm new bone growth.

Frequently Asked Questions About LARiP Preservation

Why does the jawbone shrink after a tooth is removed?

The jawbone exists primarily to support the teeth. Once a tooth is extracted and that stimulation is gone, the surrounding bone begins to resorb, or break down, over time. This process typically begins with a loss of width and, if left unaddressed, progresses to a loss of height as well. Significant bone loss can make dental implant placement difficult or impossible without additional bone grafting procedures later. Ridge preservation at the time of extraction is the most effective way to prevent this shrinkage from occurring in the first place.

Who is a good candidate for LARiP?

LARiP is recommended for patients who are having a tooth extracted and plan to replace it with a dental implant in the future. It is particularly beneficial when the extracted tooth has an active infection, since the laser’s disinfecting effect addresses bacteria that could otherwise interfere with healing. Patients who take blood thinners or have bleeding disorders can also benefit from the laser’s hemostatic control, which allows the periodontist to manage bleeding more precisely. Your periodontist will evaluate whether LARiP is appropriate based on your individual health history and treatment goals.

Is LARiP painful?

The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, so you will not feel pain during the extraction or the LARiP steps. You may hear minor buzzing or clicking sounds as the laser works within the socket, and the placement of the bone graft material involves only very light pressure. Most patients find the experience comparable to a standard extraction appointment. Some mild soreness or swelling in the days following the procedure is normal, and your care team will provide post-operative instructions to help manage your comfort during recovery.

Does LARiP guarantee that I can get a dental implant?

LARiP significantly improves the conditions for successful implant placement by preserving bone volume that would otherwise be lost after extraction. However, implant candidacy depends on several factors, including the amount of bone present, overall health, and healing outcomes. The goal of LARiP is to give you the best possible foundation for an implant, reducing or eliminating the need for more extensive bone grafting procedures later. Your periodontist will assess your bone levels after the healing period is complete and confirm whether you are ready for implant placement.

Why should I choose Rockland Dental Specialists for LARiP?

LARiP is a technically advanced procedure that requires both laser training and deep expertise in periodontics and implant surgery. At Rockland Dental Specialists, board-certified periodontist and implantologist Dr. Shalom Mintz leads a team with more than 24 years of combined experience in periodontal and implant care. Our practice offers the full continuum of care, from extraction and ridge preservation to sinus lifts and final implant placement, all under one roof. To learn whether LARiP is right for you, contact our office and schedule a consultation.

Schedule Your LARiP Procedure at Rockland Dental Specialists

Rockland Dental Specialists offers advanced laser surgery alongside state-of-the-art dental care in the New City, NY area. Board-certified periodontist and implantologist Dr. Shalom Mintz, along with Dr. David Peto and our team of periodontists and implant specialists, bring you the best laser-assisted ridge preservation experience possible with more than 24 years of combined experience. They are passionate about helping patients maintain their overall oral health. Contact us today at (845) 259-2500 to speak with one of our team members about the periodontal and implant services we offer, or book an appointment online here.