Hi N burd,

When the jaw bone is exposed after tooth extractions, as you have described it, the reason for the exposure needs to be determined in order to choose the best treatment option. General dentists are <<minimally>> experienced and knowledgeable about how to effectively treat it. You really need to see an oral surgeon for the proper diagnosis and treatment. Before you have the bone scan done via your physician, consult with an oral surgeon first as he will know exactly what type of bone scan to prescribe for you. There are many different scans and this needs to be very specific. It is imperative to have ALL of your xrays sent to the oral surgeon prior to the consult.

There are several reasons why the jaw bone would be exposed. Some have to do with the way the surgery was performed, some are due to the patients anatomy/bone loss, some have to do with the patients dental and medical history along with various other factors pertaining to the individual patient.

Some things that are contributing factors that can result in incomplete healing and jaw bone exposure after tooth extractions....

Long term use of various medications that cause dry mouth syndrome.
Bisphosphonates (bone building drugs).
Periodontal disease.
Abscessed and/or root canaled teeth.
Auto immune diseases or other health conditions.

If the patient has limited gum tissue (in the area of the extractions) due to severe recession, it can be very difficult to close the gum tissue over after extractions. This would result in exposed jaw bone.

I hope this information was helpful to you.