Tooth loss doesn’t have to be devastating to your smile and oral health, especially if you deal with it as soon as possible. By replacing your lost tooth or teeth, you can restore much of your bite’s function, rebuild your smile’s appearance, and much more. However, some options for rebuilding your smile are better than others in terms of how much they can restore. For many people, the most effective way to deal with tooth loss and its many potential consequences is to replace them with a custom-designed, dental implant-supported restoration. (more…)
A Few Proven Ways of Preserving Your Smile
The concept of preserving your smile and oral health can seem simple on the surface, but what’s needed to accomplish it depends on several unique factors. For example, if you haven’t experienced any oral health concerns yet, then preserving your smile likely means avoiding any in the future. If you do have an existing concern, such as tooth loss, or a chronic oral health condition that consistently threatens your smile, then preserving it could mean more than just routine preventive efforts. (more…)
Are You Taking Good Care of Your Dental Implants?
If you’ve experienced tooth loss because of a chronic oral health concern, like gum disease, then you may remember the importance of caring for your smile long after you’ve had your lost tooth replaced. For many people, bouncing back from that loss meant receiving one or more dental implants and an appropriate restoration (such as a dental crown or bridge) for them to support. The many advantages that come with replacing lost teeth with dental implants stem from the fact that they so closely mimic the natural structures of your teeth. That’s also true of the effort it takes to properly care for your implants and restoration, which is often the same as it takes to consistently care for your healthy, natural teeth. (more…)
A Few Problems Jaw Surgery May Solve
In addition to the more common oral health concerns that many people are used to dealing with, such as tooth decay and gum disease, there are also some conditions that require much more detailed care. For example, when you have an issue that impacts the health and integrity of an underlying oral structure, such as your jawbone, resolving it may call for surgical treatment, such as jawbone grafting or correction. Today, we look at a few examples of problems that jaw surgery may be able to solve, and how the right surgery can help dramatically improve your oral health. (more…)
Common Questions About Impacted Wisdom Teeth
One of the most well-known facts about third molars, which are often known as wisdom teeth, is the fact that many people who have them often have to have them extracted. However, even when wisdom teeth start to cause trouble, many people fail to recognize the warning, or believe that it isn’t that big of a deal. Today, we examine the importance of impacted wisdom teeth by answering a few common questions about the condition, and how you can preserve your oral health by removing them as soon as possible. (more…)
What Dental Implants Can Do for a Smile that’s Lost Teeth
Replacing a tooth that’s been lost or extracted does a lot for your smile and oral health. You can regain the confidence you once had knowing your smile looks complete again, and the enjoyment of eating many of your favorite foods again. However, many modern tooth replacement options are limited in what all they can do for your smile and oral health, apart from restoring its appearance and some of your bite’s function. That’s because many of them lack a solution for supporting themselves with as much comfort and stability as your healthy, natural teeth, which are held in place by sturdy, anchored roots. (more…)
Why Is Tooth Loss Such a Big Deal?
When many people think about tooth loss, the condition seems devastating for numerous different reasons. To some, it’s because of the impact that tooth loss does or can have on their smiles’ appearance, which can be more significant the more teeth are lost. There are also consequences for your bite’s function, which can suffer when you have fewer teeth to absorb your bite pressure, and several other aspects of your long-term oral health. Fortunately, tooth loss can be much less of a hindrance to your oral health if you address it as soon as possible, such as by replacing your lost teeth with a custom, implant-supported restoration. (more…)
Signs that You Should Extract Your Third Molars
Even if you’ve never had to remove any of your wisdom teeth, or haven’t developed any, you may be familiar with the common problems they can cause. In fact, when most people talk about wisdom teeth, it’s in the context of having to remove them due to the complications they’re causing, or in surprise that there’s haven’t caused any yet. Today, we examine a few signs that could warn you that it may be time to extract your third molars, before their impaction leads to increasingly more painful and complicated symptoms. (more…)
A Tooth’s Journey to Needing Extraction
A lot of the problems that commonly affect people’s oral health are preventable under most circumstances. The reason they often develop is due to a vulnerability in your dental hygiene routine and/or preventive dental care schedule, even a slight one. The same is true for many of the conditions that lead to tooth loss or the need to extract a tooth, such as severe gum disease or extreme tooth decay. Today, we look at how usually preventable conditions can sometimes lead to the need for tooth extraction, and why waiting to remove the tooth could allow such conditions to grow even worse. (more…)
When Is Jawbone Grafting a Good Idea?
When you experience tooth loss, the missing space (or spaces) in your smile can lead to several negative consequences for your oral health and structures. For instance, the jawbone structure that supports and sustains your teeth roots can suffer from the lack of stimulation. Your bite overall can experience trouble as your remaining teeth struggle to maintain your bite’s balance. Because of these effects, bouncing back from tooth loss can sometimes be more complex than expected. For example, before you can receive dental implant posts to replace your lost teeth, you might require grafting to strengthen any jawbone structure that may have lost mass and density. (more…)
Dr. Rogers was published in CDA’s November Issue. Click above to see his article (pg.601).