When you suffer from tooth loss due to poor oral health, or lose your natural teeth in an accident or severe injury, then you need replacement to avoid weakening jaws and further tooth loss. Our team can help with implant dentistry, providing durable and long-lasting solutions to missing teeth with a natural appearance. In today’s blog, your Santa Rosa, CA, oral and maxillofacial surgeons talk about restoring smiles with implant dentistry.
The Causes and Dangers of Tooth Loss
We could lose our natural teeth for a number of different reasons. For example, an injury to the jaw or face could lead to missing teeth, and severe decay or infection could be factors too. Advanced gum disease, known as periodontitis, is the number one cause of adult tooth loss. When we lose our teeth, this could be linked to misalignment, increased risk of cavities and gum disease, TMJ disorder and bruxism, and issues eating and even speaking clearly. But the most severe complication is the loss of mass and density in the jaw as the body stops sending doses of calcium and phosphorus to the jaw. Without these nutrients, the jaw breaks down and causes further tooth loss and even a prematurely aged appearance. However, placing dental implants can not only address the gap in your smile, but preserves your jawbone and facial structure too.
The Dental Implant
A dental implant is a biocompatible titanium post that is screw-like in appearance. This is surgically inserted into the jawbone, where it acts like a natural tooth. The body accepts it as natural tooth structure, and resumes the flow of calcium and phosphorus to the areas where the tooth was once missing. This prevents the breakdown and preserves your jaw. You also have a new tooth that can last for decades to come, possibly even a lifetime. Following the placement of the post, we will attach an abutment and secure a crown to complete your new tooth. We can use several posts to support bridges or even dentures!
Rebuilding Smiles After Trauma
If you sustain serious trauma to the face or jaw, we can rebuild your smile. We have experience, and even work as part of the Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital Trauma Team. Often, rebuilding your smile starts with the placement of dental implants, so we have framework in which to rebuild your jaw and facial structure around, correcting serious trauma and damage to the jaw or facial bones.
Strengthening Your Jawbone
What if years have elapsed since you lost your natural teeth? The loss of mass and density then weakens it until there simply isn’t enough structure to support dental implants. In these cases, we can rebuild the eroded portions and make your smile implant-ready. With jawbone grafting, we apply new tissues to the lower jaw, usually taken from other parts of your body or in the form of synthetic or donor materials. This provides a matrix for new bone tissues to grow around, and offers a base to support your dental implants. For the upper jaw, we will actually raise the sinus floor to uncover new tissues that can support your replacement teeth.
Securing Dentures in One Day
If you require dental implant dentures, we can offer All-On-Four to provide a new smile in only one visit. This uses only four implant posts per arch, and these require less structure to support, so you may be able receive a new smile without the need for grafting or sinus lift procedures beforehand. We insert these posts and in the same visit attach abutments and connect a denture, so you have a complete smile. You can leave our office with results that make you feel proud and confident.
Extraction in Preparation
Sometimes, we may need to extract teeth to prepare your smile for treatment. For example, if you’re receiving a set of dentures, we could take out the last few teeth to pave the way for your new prosthetic. Our team takes time to ensure the procedure is a safe and comfortable one, providing sedation and anesthesia just as we do for dental implant placement or for grafting or sinus lift procedures. If you have any questions about how our team will address minor or severe tooth loss with implant dentistry, or if you have a lost tooth that needs attention, then contact our team today to learn more.
Learn More About Implant Dentistry in Santa Rosa, CA
Dental implants can offer durable and lifelike solutions to minor and even severe cases of tooth loss! To learn more about our approach to securing replacement teeth and enjoying a full smile once again, give us a call at Santa Rosa Oral Surgery at (707)545-4625 today!
