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Protecting The Site in St. Petersburg, Florida

Socket preservation in
St. Petersburg, FL.

The moment a tooth comes out, the clock starts on the bone around it. Socket preservation at Natural Smiles fills and protects the site at extraction, keeping the ridge ready for a zirconia implant on your timeline.

Why Preserve

Why empty sockets lose bone.

An unfilled socket resorbs, and the ridge that implants need goes with it. Preservation spends ten extra minutes at extraction to keep the site implant-ready for months instead of weeks.

  • Sterile dental instrument tray ready for treatment

    At the extraction

    Preservation happens in the same appointment the tooth comes out.

    • One visit, no return trip
    • Ozone-disinfected socket
    • LPRF-supported fill
    • Closed over a stable site
    Holistic extractions
  • Centrifuge used to prepare LPRF from a patient's own blood

    Ridge volume held

    The fill holds the walls of the socket while bone regenerates.

    • Ridge width maintained
    • Bone regenerates into the site
    • Tracked with imaging
    • Implant timing flexible
    Bone grafting & LPRF
  • Two white zirconia ceramic dental implants

    Implant-ready later

    A preserved site takes an implant without a second grafting surgery in many cases.

    • Zirconia implant path
    • Grafting often avoided later
    • CBCT confirms readiness
    • Placement per your plan
    Zirconia implants
Preserved vs Left Empty

Preserved socket vs empty socket.

The decision takes one appointment and pays off months later, when the implant conversation starts with a site that still has its bone.

Swipe left or right to see the full table

Property Preserved Left empty
Ridge volume Held by the fill Resorbs over months
Disinfection Ozone at extraction None
Implant readiness Often ready without regrafting Grafting surgery likely first
Timeline Implant on your schedule Window narrows
The Process

Preserving a socket, step by step.

Preservation happens during the extraction visit and hands off cleanly to implant placement later.

  1. Extraction decision

    The CBCT scan and written plan pair the extraction with preservation from the start.

  2. Clean removal

    The tooth comes out and the socket gets fully debrided and ozone-disinfected.

  3. Fill and close

    LPRF-supported grafting fills the socket, holding ridge volume while bone regenerates.

  4. Implant when ready

    Follow-up imaging confirms the site, and the zirconia implant schedules per your plan.

Inside the Office

Preservation in the same visit.

Extraction, ozone, and preservation run in one appointment, with imaging confirming the site when implant time comes.

  • A medical ozone generator used for dental disinfection

    Ozone therapy station

    Medical-grade ozone disinfects surgical sites and periodontal pockets without antibiotics.

    • Cavitation surgery disinfection
    • Periodontal pocket flushing
    • Implant site preparation
    • Antibiotic-free protocol
    About ozone
  • A 3D cone beam CT scanner in the office

    CBCT 3D scanner

    Three-dimensional bone and soft-tissue imaging that flat 2D x-rays walk past.

    • Volumetric capture
    • Reads bone density in 3D
    • Surfaces hidden cavitations
    • Maps old root canal sites
    How CBCT works
  • In-house milling unit for same-day zirconia restorations

    In-house CAD/CAM lab

    Primescan digital scanning and a Sirona MC X5 mill turn out same-visit zirconia restorations.

    • Primescan digital impressions
    • Sirona MC X5 mill on-site
    • Zirconia in about three hours
    • No goopy putty trays
    Inside the lab
Trained in Switzerland

Trained by the pioneer of ceramic implants.

Dr. Carlo Litano, DMD, biological dentist in St. Petersburg

Dr. Ulrich Volz developed the first FDA-cleared ceramic dental implant and founded Swiss BioHealth in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland. Dr. Carlo Litano, DMD studied under him directly and uses the Swiss BioHealth protocol at his practice in the Tampa Bay area. Every biological case at Natural Smiles is planned, placed, and finished to the same standard.

  • DMD
  • IAOMT SMART certified
  • SDS Swiss BioHealth Protocol
  • Holistic Dental Association board of directors
  • International Academy of Ceramic Implantology
Meet Dr. Carlo Litano
Patient Reviews

Patient reviews on planning ahead.

Patients drive in from across Florida and fly in from across the U.S. A few in their own words, from 700+ reviews averaging 4.9 stars on Google, Facebook and Healthgrades.

  • Recommended
    Facebook

    "I drive over an hour each way to see these people but they are the best. Very meticulous and confirm to the idea of first do no harm. A rare thing in modern dentistry."

    Mark F.
  • Recommended
    Facebook

    "Excellent experience because I knew I was in good hands & Dr. Litano knew what he was doing & was going to keep me safe from toxic metals!"

    Judy C.
  • Recommended
    Facebook

    "Took my now 19 month old here back when she chipped her tooth at 13 months. He was great with her. … Every one who works here is so pleasant. I will continue to make the 1 hour and 15 minute drive here just because of the atmosphere!"

    W.B.
Preservation FAQ

Questions about socket preservation in St. Petersburg.

The questions patients ask most about protecting a site after extraction.

A graft placed in the socket at extraction, ozone-disinfected and LPRF-supported, holding ridge volume so an implant stays possible without a second grafting surgery.

No. Same-day placement fills the socket with the implant itself. Preservation covers cases where placement waits. Zirconia implants.

Longer than an empty one by a wide margin. Follow-up imaging confirms readiness when you schedule the implant.

Preservation prices with the extraction it accompanies, in the same written estimate.

Schedule

Preservation consultations in downtown St. Petersburg.

A consultation with a 3D scan gives you a written treatment plan and cost estimate before any decisions. Call (727) 300-0044 or request a visit online.