Easy Ways To Avoid Tooth Loss Due To Decay

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When you can avoid tooth decay, we encourage you to do so. Fortunately, there are many avenues down which you may travel to ensure your smile remains cavity-free. While this might sound very relieving to you, it’s not going to help much unless you know just what to do to keep your teeth in exceptional shape, so tooth loss doesn’t have to occur. We recommend that you take some advice very seriously, so you can keep those teeth of yours healthy for many years to come.

Commit To Preventive Care

The best way to ensure you don’t end up dealing with tooth loss because of tooth decay? Follow the preventive care methods that are essential for teeth that remain healthy and avoid decay. First, this means seeing your dentist for professional care. Then, focus on home care (brushing and flossing) and anything else that may work for your unique needs. Use toothpaste that contains fluoride, make sure you’re getting enough calcium, and keep your smile healthy and strong with a varied diet full of vitamins and minerals.

Watch What You Eat

You might be doing everything you possibly can to keep your smile clean and your diet may be packed with some good-for-you stuff. However, if you’re not being careful with your daily habits, you may find that you’re promoting tooth decay (and the possibility of eventual tooth loss). Recognize that if you’re consuming a lot of sugary or acidic foods and beverages, this can take a serious toll on your teeth. Teeth become exposed to an acid environment when you eat such things, which makes for softening enamel and future decay. Remember to follow these types of snacks with water (and a brushing session after about a half hour).

Prevent Decay To Avoid Tooth Loss

Remember that preventing decay and additional damage is often all it takes to avoid the loss of your teeth. Schedule the time you need in Santa Rosa, CA by calling Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park Oral Surgery at 707-545-4625 to schedule your visit today.

Bone Grafting: Why Go Through With It?

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If you have experienced jawbone atrophy, then you’re missing some bone tissue. As a result, you might experience a variety of problems with your oral health and even your appearance. However, if you’ve just learned about this, you’re considering bone grafting, but you’re not sure about whether you plan on proceeding, you may be overlooking some important details. Namely, those details include why you should strongly consider going through with this procedure that can restore your jaw! Find out more.

To Maintain A Youthful Appearance

What you may not be thinking about just yet is the fact that the fullness of your jawbone (and the teeth it supports) actually provides further support: To your face! When your jaw shrinks and you lose teeth, your lower face no longer has the full volume that comes with a complete, healthy smile. As a result, your upper face no longer has the support of a full lower face. You see where we’re going. Maintain your youthful appearance by starting with bone grafting.

To Support Dental Implants

If your bone deterioration has anything to do with missing teeth, you may want to replace those teeth with dental implants. Did you know they will stimulate your jaw tissue to keep it healthy and fully replace missing teeth? You’ll need bone grafting first to repair damage, so your jaw can house implants successfully.

To Avoid Fractures And Further Tooth Loss

A damaged jaw is more likely to fracture and more likely to give way to additional tooth loss. By fixing the damage with bone grafting, you can side step such complications to protect your smile.

Preserve Your Smile With Jawbone Grafting

If you’re dealing with jaw tissue deterioration and you’re interested in dental implants, come speak with us about restoring your jaw health with bone grafting. Schedule the time you need in Santa Rosa, CA by calling Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park Oral Surgery at 707-545-4625 to schedule your visit today.

Summertime Questions: How’s Your Planning Going?

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We know that you probably have the best of intentions as summer approaches. However, once the warm, long days show up, it’s often difficult to make good on those little chores that seemed so easy to accomplish when we were still experiencing sweater weather. While we appreciate the fact that heading to the beach, splashing in the pool, and making travel plans may be a bit more fun than scheduling your smile care, we’d still like to check in (so we can help keep you on track).

Do Your Kids Need Care?

First things first, do your kids need smile care? Was there something you’ve been planning on scheduling for them the moment school let out and, now that summer vacation is upon us, you haven’t mustered up the motivation to do so? In many instances, this is a wonderful time to come in for extractions (like wisdom teeth removal) or to visit us for any oral surgery needs as they relate to orthodontic care.

Is There Something You Need?

How about you? Is there something that you’ve been putting off or that just hasn’t worked with your schedule? Does summer present less stress for you? If so, don’t let your smile care fall through the cracks. Whether you’d like to explore dental implants or you require other types of care, this is as good a time as ever to get going!

Have We Heard From You?

Do you need something but you haven’t picked up the phone yet? Remember that when summer winds down, kids are headed back to school, and the temperatures drop a bit, you can look back on summer with a serious feeling of accomplishment! No pressure, of course, but you just might want to give us a call!

See Us This Summer For Convenient Care

Remember that the sooner you see us for your particular need, the sooner we can begin treatment and help you attain your best oral health. Schedule the time you need in Santa Rosa, CA by calling Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park Oral Surgery at 707-545-4625 to schedule your visit today.

Do You Immediately Assume Implants Aren’t For You?

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Is there something about dental implants that causes you to assume immediately that they are off the table as an option for you? Perhaps you are generally seeking out ways to protect your savings, so the idea of splurging on implants is not something that crosses your mind. Maybe you just assume it’s for a particular type of tooth loss that couldn’t possibly have anything to do with your smile. Not to worry. We can speak to these common assumptions, so you feel confident about whether implants will work for your specific needs.

They’re Not For A Particular Adult Age Group

We often find that patients assume that dental implants are for more mature smiles. As a result, they ignore implants altogether. This is not the case! As long as your mouth is done developing (not always the case for older teens and those in their early 20s just yet), then your smile may qualify.

They’re Not Going To Require Much Upkeep

Patients often figure they’re just not right for dental implants because they’ll require so much work. The truth is, they probably require the least amount of additional care of all of the prosthetics out there.

They’re Not Only For Severe Tooth Loss

You may figure that dental implants are for some very serious problems but you’re just missing one little old tooth. Don’t make this mistake! We will replace one tooth, many teeth, even a mouthful of teeth with implants. It is completely dependent on your needs.

They’re Not Necessarily Out Of The Budget

They may seem inaccessible but that is not necessarily the case. The only way to find out is to ask and to discuss your options with us.

Consider Implants If You Want Them

Don’t immediately assume implants won’t work for you. Instead, talk them over with our team. Schedule the time you need in Santa Rosa, CA by calling Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park Oral Surgery at 707-545-4625 to schedule your visit today.

Quiz: Is Gum Health Really That Important?

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You might feel very protective of your teeth and your dental implants. However, your gum tissue and gum health may become a bit of an afterthought. While we understand how this might make sense to you, we encourage you to recognize something very important: It’s essential that you protect every part of your oral cavity and surrounding structures to safeguard your oral health. Need some additional details regarding why your gums are so significant? Our quiz will help.

Quiz Questions: True or False?

  1. True or False: Generally speaking, your gum health doesn’t have very much to do with the anything we focus on at our oral surgery practice.
  2. True or False: One of the problem that might arise if you end up dealing with gum disease is the fact that inflamed gums can put the success of your dental implants at risk of failing.
  3. True or False: Unfortunately, if you have already dealt with tooth loss, problems with your gum health can lead to additional tooth loss. This is one of the reasons it’s so important to protect your gingival tissue.

Quiz Answers

  1. False. Remember that all parts of your smile need to work together in harmony for you to achieve and maintain oral health. When your gums are in poor health, it can affect all aspects of your smile and can even lead to a need for oral surgery.
  2. True. When gum tissue becomes inflamed, it can lead to the failure of your dental implant. We call this inflammation around an implant “peri-implantitis.” Keep your gingival tissue healthy with daily and professional care to avoid this hazard.
  3. True. If you didn’t already know, remember that gum disease can cause tooth loss. Keep your entire smile healthy to prevent a need for additional implants.

Protect Your Smile With Excellent Gum Health

If you need assistance with protecting your smile, addressing tooth loss, or caring for dental implants, come talk with us! Schedule the time you need in Rohnert Park, CA by calling Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park Oral Surgery at 707-584-1630 to schedule your visit today.

4 Compelling Reasons To Replace Missing Teeth

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If you have dental implants on the top of your priority list of things to learn about, then you are likely doing so because you’ve experienced tooth loss. If so, did you know that actually following through with learning about solutions to replace missing teeth is an extremely important thing to do? It’s true. Discover more about compelling reasons to do so (and then call us the second you’re ready to begin your implant education).

Reason #1: So You Like Your Smile

It’s very simple. If you don’t like your smile as much now as you did before it was missing teeth, replacing them will make you feel good about the way it looks again. Dental implants can help, so it might be time to come talk with us!

Reason #2: So Daily Life Isn’t Difficult

Until tooth loss affects you, it’s easy to overlook how seriously it can impact daily life. However, once you’re missing teeth, you’ll find that it can make things you usually take for granted much more challenging (think eating, speaking, and keeping your smile clean). Replacing teeth solves these issues.

Reason #3: To Prevent Jaw Damage

If you place dental implants, they will help you protect your jaw health. Did you know that your roots essentially “tell” your jaw that it needs to stay nice and healthy but when you lose teeth, that message is no longer communicated? Replacing teeth and roots restores that significant communication.

Reason #4: To Keep Teeth Where They Are

Teeth don’t stay in one place when there’s a smile opening. Instead, they move. To avoid allowing them to head straight for the open spaces, fill openings with replacements like dental implants, so your alignment doesn’t budge.

Replace Missing Teeth With Our Care

When you’re ready to address your tooth loss, come speak with us about your many options. Schedule the time you need in Santa Rosa, CA by calling Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park Oral Surgery at 707-545-4625 to schedule your visit today.

Making Implants Work For Your Budget

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If you want dental implants but you haven’t done anything to make them a part of your reality, what’s holding you back? If your immediate response includes something to do with your budget, we are happy to report to you that you’re certainly in good company! Whether it’s implants or any other type of oral surgery, the financial side of things is always a very influential factor when it comes to decision making. Fortunately, if this is the issue that’s preventing you from attaining the complete smile you want, we can help you better understand how you can make implants work for you.

Consider Implant-Supported Dentures Or Bridges

Remember that if you want the benefits of dental implants but it just doesn’t look like it’s going to work for your financial plans, don’t become discouraged. Though there are many factors we can consider and go over with you, one of the most obvious is considering implant-supported dentures or bridges instead of single implants. You can enjoy the benefits you’re looking for (like amazing stability) with a smaller investment.

Talk With Us About A Long-Term Care Plan

Maybe you are hoping to spend some time saving for dental implants but you know that it’s very important to find a way to address your missing teeth in the meantime. Rather than just waiting and hoping for the best without dealing with your tooth loss, we encourage you to speak with us during a visit about your options. That way, you can make good choices that will help you maintain candidacy for implants until the time comes.

Schedule Time To Talk With Us About Implants

Take time to come in to talk with us about how to make implants work for your smile and your life. Schedule the time you need in Santa Rosa, CA by calling Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park Oral Surgery at 707-545-4625 to schedule your visit today.

Implants: What Makes Them So Durable?

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You have probably heard quite often that dental implants are exceptionally durable. You know that when you choose implants to replace teeth that are missing, they can last and last. You also know that whatever restoration you select for your smile also comes with a reputation for incredible resilience. The piece of the puzzle that might still be missing for you, however, is just what makes all of these pieces so very capable of withstanding daily chewing, speaking, and the force of your exceptionally strong jaws! As you may have guessed … we’ve got the details you’re seeking.

The Bond Between Your Jawbone And Implant

When you start asking yourself how a dental implant could possibly last a lifetime and could offer such exceptional stability, remember first that they are modeled after your own tooth roots. When kept healthy and free of trauma, they can offer a healthy, stable bite for life. Then, there’s osseointegration: This is the process that occurs when your newly received implant bonds with the tissue in your jawbone (again, much like your natural root structure). They essentially turn into a single unit, so those implants aren’t going anywhere.

The Engineering Of Restorations

Your restoration, whether a single dental crown, bridge, or denture, will be crafted out of high-quality materials. The tooth replacement itself, whether porcelain or zirconia, is made to withstand the pressure in your smile, to look beautiful, and to resist stains and damage. As a result of careful, custom crafting, it can offer durability.

The Strategic Placement

Your bite is unique. The way your teeth work together to break down food and to help you speak is, as a result, also unique. When we place dental implants and restorations, we do so strategically to ensure everything fits together correctly and that pressure is distributed evenly for long-lasting wear.

Talk With Us About Your Interest In Implants

If you’re interested in dental implants, we strongly suggest you come talk this solution over with us to learn more. Schedule the time you need in Santa Rosa, CA by calling Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park Oral Surgery at 707-545-4625 to schedule your visit today.

Summer And Dental Implants: A Couple Reminders

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Do you have dental implants in your smile? Are you planning on it? Somewhere in the middle of the whole process? Fortunately, a smile with implants certainly bodes well for summertime fun (and for every season forever after that), since you’ll experience a beautiful grin that functions exceptionally. To make sure you’re making the most of this opportunity to enjoy a complete smile, we have taken it upon ourselves to offer you a couple very important reminders for this upcoming summer.

Reminder #1: It’s A Good Time To Get Started!

Are you one of the aforementioned patients who has been thinking about receiving dental implants but you haven’t come in for a consultation or made any forward movement yet? Keep in mind that summer is often a wonderful time to begin. The weather’s lovely, the kids are out of school, you might have decided to take some time off, and the sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll be experiencing your fully completed smile!

Reminder #2: Keep Pool Safety In Mind

In the process of recovering after the placement of dental implants? Perhaps you’ve already had implants for several years. Whatever the case, what you most certainly do not want is to damage your implants as the result of an all-too-common pool injury. Our suggestions include the following:

  • Remember that surfaces are often slippery, so be careful
  • Remember that it’s always best to exit the pool with the stairs, while holding onto the railing, so you don’t end up hitting your mouth on the pool ledge, etc.

Make The Most Of Your Summer

Come in for dental implants, tips, and any other oral surgery needs during the summer to ensure your smile is as healthy and beautiful as possible. Schedule the time you need in Santa Rosa, CA by calling Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park Oral Surgery at 707-545-4625 to schedule your visit today.

Nitrous Oxide: Why It Might Be Right For You

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Are you dealing with butterflies in the stomach, jitters, or some general (and very unpleasant) anxiety when it comes to approaching your oral surgery visits? If so, let us begin by telling you that we completely understand how you’re feeling. We appreciate your decision to protect your oral health even though your emotions may be battling you at the moment. We are also happy to extend a suggestion to learn more about your dental sedation options with us because they can offer you a truly relaxing time at our practice. For now, let’s review nitrous oxide and why it might be just what you need.

It’s Gentle Yet Very Relaxing

If you feel nervous but not so nervous that you can’t come in for care (but anxious enough that the idea of sitting in our chair makes you very uncomfortable), you might benefit from nitrous oxide. It is known to gently yet effectively offer you an extraordinary sense of tranquility. Simple.

It Won’t Throw Off Your Day

One of the reasons you may appreciate nitrous oxide is the fact that it can help you achieve a very calm state without completely ruining your plans for the rest of the day. While other types of sedation will require you to go home (a trip that someone must help you make, since you will still be too sedated to safely drive), laughing gas leaves your system quickly. As a result, you can drive and continue on with your day as usual!

It’s Safe For Most Patients

Fortunately, nitrous oxide is something that is gentle and safe. So safe, in fact, that we can provide it to everyone from pediatric patients on up. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Find Out If Nitrous Oxide Will Work For You

Learn more about nitrous oxide and your other dental sedation options by speaking with us during your next visit. Schedule the time you need in Santa Rosa, CA by calling Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park Oral Surgery at 707-545-4625 to schedule your visit today.