When you take the time to read up on implants, you will come across a lot of interesting scientific details. One factor that commonly comes up is the fact that dental implants are biocompatible. As you will notice by checking your context clues, this is a positive detail that’s very important in the success of implant placement. However, this may not be enough information to help you fully understand what we mean by biocompatibility. We’d like to assist you in feeling more educated with a question and answer session.

Questions and Answers

Question: Strictly regarding the definition of the word, what does biocompatible really mean?

Answer: It means harmless toward living tissue. “Bio” is in references to “life” or living material, while “compatible” essentially means harmless toward or “not in conflict with.”

Question: So, if dental implants are biocompatible, does that mean that they are safe for use in my smile? Isn’t almost anything safe?

Answer: This means that the placement of implants in your smile to replace missing teeth is considered safe. Unfortunately, not all materials can be used to replace missing tissue in your body. Your immune system is quite powerful and can detect the difference between harmful foreign materials and natural tissue. Since the titanium used to craft an implant is biocompatible, your body should recognize it as “safe” and accept it.

Question: Is there anything else I should know about why the biocompatibility of dental implants is so important?

Answer: Yes! If you’ve heard of osseointegration, you know that this is the fusion that occurs between the implant and your jaw tissue, lending extraordinary stability once the process is complete. This is possible because of the biocompatible nature of implants.

ABOUT YOUR ROHNERT PARK, CA, ORAL SURGEONS:

Combining experience in oral and maxillofacial surgery with a genuine care for their patients’ health and comfort, the team at Santa Rosa Oral Surgery is ready to improve the health and beauty of smiles in the Sonoma County and North Bay area. To schedule a consultation, contact our office by calling 707-545-4625 (Santa Rosa).

Think you’re the only patient almost ready to receive your dental implants but still full of tons of questions? You’re not! We hear a lot of questions about implants at our practice, which we consider a good thing. Asking us questions means you’ve been thinking critically through the information we have provided you and that you’ve come up against some areas of confusion for which you seek a little clarity. Good for you! Still think you might be one of very few patients looking for more facts? Take a moment to peruse questions we hear time and time again from individuals just like you.

Why Should I Go With Implants?

There are many good reasons to choose dental implants. The most common reasons we find that patients choose this option for replacing missing teeth include the following:

• Implants can last a lifetime
• Choosing implants will result in a very natural looking smile
• Implants replace your roots and the crown of your tooth for a truly comprehensive replacement option
• Implants are the most stable solution

How Long Will The Whole Process Take?

It can take several months to a year until you have received your dental implants and they are restored. This includes the surgery required to place them, recovery, and coming in for us to complete them with your permanent restorations (dental crowns, bridges, or dentures).

Is It Okay If I Put This Off For A While?

It is, of course, completely up to you if you are currently ready for dental implants or if you require additional time to think or to situate your budget. However, remember that there are some potential drawbacks to waiting. Waiting too long can give your smile time to shift or your jaw time to break down, which may affect candidacy.

ABOUT YOUR SANTA ROSA, CA, ORAL SURGEONS:

Combining experience in oral and maxillofacial surgery with a genuine care for their patients’ health and comfort, the team at Santa Rosa Oral Surgery is ready to improve the health and beauty of smiles in the Sonoma County and North Bay area. To schedule a consultation, contact our office by calling 707-545-4625 (Santa Rosa).

If you have received dental implants, you know that keeping your smile healthy is an essential component of protecting your tooth replacements. While your knowledge of the basics has likely become second nature (you know that brushing and flossing are musts), you might not know whether your brushing is exceptional, satisfactory, or only so-so. Fortunately, checking in on this aspect of your dental hygiene is simple and can improve the protection you are providing your mouth with just a change or two.

What You Should Brush

It’s very important that you brush all of the surfaces of every tooth that your toothbrush can reach. This means you will spend this part of your dental hygiene session brushing the chewing surface of each tooth, the fronts of your teeth, the sides, the backs, and the tissue that runs along your gumline. You should also brush your tongue! Addressing these many surfaces will maximize your plaque removal, thereby protecting your dental implants and the rest of your smile from potential oral health problems.

Brushing Frequency

All of that hard work is only going to pay off if you remain consistent with your efforts and if those efforts occur frequently enough. A successful brushing experience requires you to brush for two minutes. We suggest that you brush your smile twice a day (it’s best if you do so in the morning and then again in the evening before you go to bed). As a result, you will spend around four minutes brushing your smile on a daily basis, which offers your dental implants, teeth, and gums some serious safeguarding!

ABOUT YOUR SANTA ROSA, CA, ORAL SURGEONS:

Combining experience in oral and maxillofacial surgery with a genuine care for their patients’ health and comfort, the team at Santa Rosa Oral Surgery is ready to improve the health and beauty of smiles in the Sonoma County and North Bay area. To schedule a consultation, contact our office by calling 707-545-4625 (Santa Rosa).

Is this your first Thanksgiving with dental implants? Perhaps you’re discovering that you’re both excited and a little unsure about what to expect. Your best bet is to remember why you chose implants: They are there to serve you well with incredible stability, so you can enjoy your meal, and to restore your smile. You can expect to feel relaxed as you eat, converse, and smile with those you care about … what a relief! As for the details regarding keeping your smile clean and making wise food choices, we’ve got the information you need.

Bring Floss

The easiest way to make sure you feel relaxed about your newly complete smile with dental implants is to bring some floss along. (Hint: We suggest this for patients without tooth replacements, as well! It’s a very helpful tip). Whether you choose to gravitate toward the turkey, stuffing, or otherwise, there’s a good chance that you’ll end up with a bit of food lodged between your teeth. Keeping floss on hand will ensure you can achieve a clean, comfortable smile after your Thanksgiving meal. (Feel free to bring a brush along, as well, for a full dental hygiene session).

Think Of Your Implants As Natural Teeth

Remember during your Thanksgiving experience that you can think of your dental implants and restorations as your natural teeth. We say this both to help you have a good time and to remind you that implants are very strong yet not invincible. Consider the following:

• Don’t shy away from foods that have been off limits for a while. Enjoy the turkey, potatoes, stuffing, green beans, rolls, and more! Your smile will do just fine.
• Don’t assume your implants are stronger than your natural teeth. If someone offers you a nut or you eye some yummy looking brittle (but you know your natural teeth could never break them down), avoid them to prevent accidental damage.

ABOUT YOUR ROHNERT PARK, CA, ORAL SURGEONS:

Combining experience in oral and maxillofacial surgery with a genuine care for their patients’ health and comfort, the team at Santa Rosa Oral Surgery is ready to improve the health and beauty of smiles in the Sonoma County and North Bay area. To schedule a consultation, contact our office by calling 707-545-4625 (Santa Rosa).

Patients are often curious about dental implant removal, which can evoke a long list of questions. For instance, can you have an implant removed after placement, you may wonder? What’s the process like and why might the removal of an otherwise “forever” tooth replacement become necessary? We have some answers to help you understand this complex topic.

Questions and Answers: Implants

Question: How permanent are dental implants? If I decide I want implants but later change my mind, is this something you can easily remove so that I can choose another option?

Answer: Implants are quite permanent because of the solid bond that forms between the post and the surrounding jaw tissue. As a result, we cannot simply pluck implants from their location because your jaw and implant essentially turn into one entity.

Question: What does it take to remove dental implants?

Answer: This is a complex process that may require the use of advanced surgical treatment. In general, because the titanium post has fused with your jawbone tissue, it will require a thoughtful strategy and the removal of both your implant and some of your bone tissue. Removal is generally not an elective procedure.

Question: Why might you need to remove my dental implants?

Answer: We may need to remove implants if you have received them from another practice and they were placed poorly (which can lead to oral health complications and implant failure). Or, if you experience issues like periodontal disease that leads to implant failure, the removal of implants becomes necessary.

ABOUT YOUR SANTA ROSA, CA, ORAL SURGEONS:

Combining experience in oral and maxillofacial surgery with a genuine care for their patients’ health and comfort, the team at Santa Rosa Oral Surgery is ready to improve the health and beauty of smiles in the Sonoma County and North Bay area. To schedule a consultation, contact our office by calling 707-545-4625 (Santa Rosa).

After your smile is restored with dental implants, you may discover that flossing your smile is a bit different than it used to be. You continue flossing your natural teeth the way you always have but getting down around your implant brings with it the need for a new technique. When this moment presents itself, you have two options: Choose not to floss around your implants and promote problems with your oral health or become familiar with the best practices for safe, effective flossing to keep your smile healthy. (Hint: We have some very helpful advice!).

Why This Is So Important

If you have received dental implants, you have already heard all about peri-implantitis. Much like gingivitis, it’s the inflammation of your gum tissue, which can lead to infection and disease of your periodontal tissues. The result? It can cause you to lose your implant. To avoid this problem, you need not only to brush consistently and to remain committed to professional visits for cleanings and checkups. Flossing is also extremely important for keeping bacteria and debris away from your gum tissue.

Things You Should Know

You should know that it’s going to become extremely easy to floss your smile, even around your dental implants. Once you get the hang of any minor changes, it will feel completely natural and you will begin flossing on “autopilot” again. As for helpful tips, consider the following:

• Talk with us. If you are having trouble or don’t remember what to do, we will explain and demonstrate.
• Don’t re-use floss. This means don’t wash floss off and use it again. It also means, don’t use the same segment of floss around your implant that you just used between two teeth.
• Remember to floss between teeth as well as beneath your dental crown, moving the floss back and forth to ensure successful cleaning.

ABOUT YOUR SANTA ROSA, CA, ORAL SURGEONS:

Combining experience in oral and maxillofacial surgery with a genuine care for their patients’ health and comfort, the team at Santa Rosa Oral Surgery is ready to improve the health and beauty of smiles in the Sonoma County and North Bay area. To schedule a consultation, contact our office by calling 707-545-4625 (Santa Rosa).

Are you ready to protect your oral health from the scary, the spooky, and the truly frightening? While Halloween can certainly bring with it some dangers, it’s also a time to have fun and enjoy yourself with friends and family! Rather than allow yourself to feel conflicted about taking part in the celebration, we’d much prefer you feel prepared to indulge through an educated approach. Let’s cover the basics, so you can keep your teeth, your jaws, and even your dental implants safe.

Watch For Red Flags

There are those items you simply know to avoid because they can cause damage to your natural teeth, to your dental implants, and to your smile in general. When food appears to require a sledgehammer to break it apart, your teeth should not be required to complete the task. When candy is extraordinarily sticky, it could literally dislodge a dental crown. The best option? Turn a blind eye to these options and look for delightful treats that will leave your mouth in one piece.

Add Sugarless Gum Into The Mix

We certainly wouldn’t think of suggesting you avoid candy on this festive night. However, we do have a suggestion that is safe for natural smiles, dental implants, and everything in between. Try out sugarless chewing gum either if you’re looking for a way to indulge your sweet tooth without sugar or if you just ate candy but you don’t have your brush and toothpaste handy. Chewing on gum that does not contain sugar for several minutes after you eat your candy or snack (around 20 minutes is optimal) will provide some serious protection against the negative consequences of sugar on your oral health. It will also help keep your breath fresh and is safe to chew!

ABOUT YOUR ROHNERT PARK, CA, ORAL SURGEONS:

Combining experience in oral and maxillofacial surgery with a genuine care for their patients’ health and comfort, the team at Santa Rosa Oral Surgery is ready to improve the health and beauty of smiles in the Sonoma County and North Bay area. To schedule a consultation, contact our office by calling 707-545-4625 (Santa Rosa).

Is there something about purchasing products that you’ll use to care for your dental implants that causes you some stress? Do you occasionally find that even purchasing a new toothbrush can leave you wondering if you’re making a great choice or a horrible choice? Rather than allow this simple experience to become a complicated one, we encourage you to take some tips to heart.

Tip #1: Have A Conversation With Us

Talk with us about caring for your dental implants. There’s no need to be shy about caring for your smile, whether you have questions that seem complex or advanced or if you’re simply unsure about the type of toothbrush, dental floss, or toothpaste to buy. We are always here to take your call and to help protect your smile.

Tip #2: Look For The ADA Seal of Acceptance

When you know the product you’re looking for but you’re torn between multiple options (or you’re worried that what you’ve found isn’t something you can trust), you have a safety net! Look over the entire package. If you can locate the ADA Seal of Acceptance, you can purchase it without concern. It’s been tested to ensure it will work.

Tip #3: Stick With the Basics

If a product claims it goes above and beyond the usual, offering a way for you to sidestep the dental hygiene guidelines we suggest for you and your dental implants, remain wary. There’s no way around brushing your smile and flossing it. Yes, you may consider different types of products like an electric toothbrush or a water flosser. However, there’s no magic product that will take the place of the basic necessities.

ABOUT YOUR SANTA ROSA, CA, ORAL SURGEONS:

Combining experience in oral and maxillofacial surgery with a genuine care for their patients’ health and comfort, the team at Santa Rosa Oral Surgery is ready to improve the health and beauty of smiles in the Sonoma County and North Bay area. To schedule a consultation, contact our office by calling 707-545-4625 (Santa Rosa).

Do you ever take a look at the electric toothbrushes on the market, wondering if they would make a good choice for you and your dental implants? If so, you may be happy to hear that the answer is most often a big, “Yes!” If you have other concerns or questions, we certainly always suggest you run them by us. As for understanding what makes this dental hygiene selection a wise decision for your smile, we offer a few ways it might benefit you!

#1: It’s Great For Healthy Gums

Protecting your gums if you wear dental implants is quite important for your overall oral health and for preventing implant failure. Fortunately, turning to an electric toothbrush can offer immense gum protection, both by keeping your smile clean and preventing peri-implantitis and by preventing you from brushing too hard and encouraging gum recession.

#2: It Will Help You Worry Less

Did you know that when you turn on that electric toothbrush, it’s providing you with the plaque-cleaning strength of thousands of strokes every 60 seconds? Indeed, this may help you worry less about keeping your dental implants and natural teeth clean if it’s something that weighs on your mind. Though you can achieve effective care with a manual brush, as well, getting more out of your 2-minute brush sessions can certainly offer oral health benefits, while keeping you from worrying.

#3: It’s Just Easier

As you may have guessed, the electric toothbrush isn’t going to require quite as much of your physical movements as a manual brush. Instead, because the brush vibrates, the bristles will do their thing, moving back and forth to remove plaque. Your job in this scenario will be to act as the guide. If you’re looking for a way to make your dental hygiene sessions less strenuous, this is certainly a wonderful option.

ABOUT YOUR SANTA ROSA, CA, ORAL SURGEONS:

Combining experience in oral and maxillofacial surgery with a genuine care for their patients’ health and comfort, the team at Santa Rosa Oral Surgery is ready to improve the health and beauty of smiles in the Sonoma County and North Bay area. To schedule a consultation, contact our office by calling 707-545-4625 (Santa Rosa).