Alveoplasty is a dental pre-prosthetic procedure performed to reshape the jawbone. In this procedure, the bony edges of the alveolar ridge and its surrounding structures is made smooth, redesigned or re-contoured so that a well-fitting, comfortable, and aesthetic dental prosthesis may be fabricated.
When teeth are extracted from the jawbone, holes/sockets are left behind. Even when gums are completely healed, there will still be high and low points in the bone. This can make it difficult for dentures to be fitted. The denture base can rub against the high points and may cause sore spots. The fit of the denture may also be affected.
People who have had missing teeth for quite some time have lost some of their bone in their jaws. The top part of the jawbone, referred to as the ridge, can become very thin. Some people may have a lip of bone that protrudes from the jaw. Alveoplasty are used by Dentist in order to smooth-en out these lumps and irregularities in the jawbone, flatten the ridge of the jaw, or to taper the ridge of the jaw.