4 Things That Result From Periodontal Disease

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You know that caring for your gum health is extremely important for your overall oral health. However, when it comes to the things that can go wrong with your gum tissue, you might not know much about the negative effects of periodontal disease. It’s important to recognize that gum problems will continue to progress once they begin because you need professional care to remove plaque and reverse or stop the inflammation and any existing infection. Fortunately, treating associated problems immediately will protect your smile. Learn more about things that can result from gum disease and why protection is so important.

#1: Your Teeth May Become Loose

When periodontal disease occurs, it destroys your gum tissue and as it progresses, it destroys additional connective tissue and even jawbone tissue. As a result, the more the disease advances, the less support your teeth receive. Your teeth may become loose.

#2: Infection May Occur

The inflammation that occurs with periodontal disease is the result of plaque accumulation, which is filled with bacteria. As the plaque and tartar continue to build up and inflammation starts, infection often follows, which will require professional treatment.

#3: Teeth May Move

As the tissues within your smile break down, teeth may not only become loose but may also move. As they shift out of alignment, you will notice that your smile becomes unbalanced and esthetically less pleasing.

#4: You May Lose A Tooth

When periodontal disease becomes extremely advanced, you will lose the framework that supports your teeth and you may require an extraction.

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).

Weekend Challenge: Dental Implants

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Are you someone who has been wading through tons of technical information, details about benefits, and more as you become familiar with dental implants? If so, you may feel like you’re not doing very well when it comes to organizing the information. As a matter of fact, you may feel so overwhelmed that you assume it will take you months to sort through your thoughts and figure out how you feel. Good news: By taking our weekend challenge, you will find that within just a few days, you’ll begin to feel much more certain regarding whether implants will make a good fit for your smile.

Friday

Set aside 15 to 30 minutes. Once you unwind from the day, take this brief amount of time to review the technical details associated with dental implants, as well as what you can expect. You can then move on to the more elaborate details with a solid foundation. Look over the following:

  • Review the parts (implant post, abutment, restoration)
  • Review the process (surgery, recovery, restoration)
  • Review osseointegration (it’s simply what occurs as the bone and implant post fuse)

Saturday

Set aside another 30 minutes. Today, you will be paying attention to the things that cause you the most concern. Instead of spending time researching, we suggest you create a list of questions you have about implants. Whether it’s a neutral inquiry or a worry, write it down and bring it with you to your next visit, so we can offer answers to any final details you need to sort out.

Sunday

Let’s end the weekend challenge on a positive note! At this point, we ask that you set aside just one more block of 30 minutes to review the benefits of dental implants. Think about all of the advantages – you may want to take a look at the American Academy of Implant Dentistry’s collection of benefits for a thorough look.

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).

A Few Interesting Reasons To Choose Dental Implants

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Are you pulling together a pros and cons list for reasons to choose dental implants? Do you find that you can come up with a long, long list of pros but you are always happy to add a few new benefits? The more you consider implants, the easier it is to recognize the many advantages that can make a significant impact on your life. In addition, the more you know, the easier it becomes to make a final decision.

Reason #1: You Can Be A Little Lazy

Perhaps you feel a little lazy sometimes when it comes to caring for your smile. Beyond your daily hygiene (brushing and flossing) and the need to see your general dentist for cleanings and checkups, you don’t really want to have to do much more. No problem! Dental implants offer you the luxury of returning to your life before tooth loss. Since they may last a lifetime, you can go about your day without worrying about special cleaning, products, or repairs.

Reason #2: You Want To Look Younger Longer

Dental implants will help preserve your youthful appearance by keeping your jawbone from breaking down over time. As a result, your face will continue to receive full support from your lower bone structure.

Reason #3: The Payoff Can Be Priceless

How do you attribute a value to something that fully restores your ability to chew and articulately speak? Particularly something that may last for the rest of your life? Did we mention it will also ensure that your smile looks complete and beautiful again? When it comes to choosing dental implants, remember that that the benefits abound.

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).

2 Reasons To Choose Implant Dentures

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As you are learning about dental implants do you find yourself a bit mixed up regarding traditionally supported prosthetics versus choosing implant-supported dentures? If so, this is completely understandable! You are learning a whole new vocabulary and you are taking in the details regarding the process, after all. So, when it comes to figuring out whether you would prefer to replace multiple teeth at once with traditional or implant support, these details may at first mean very little to you. Let’s do a bit of exploration, so you’re more familiar with a couple reasons to go the implant denture route.

Reason #1: Traditional Support Is Less Stable

A traditionally supported denture is one that relies on the tissue you already have in your smile. Since you are dealing with full tooth loss, this means that your denture will rest on your dental ridge, where is remains in place as the result of natural suction. As you can imagine, this provides you with a way to restore your smile to a certain degree. However, when compared with the support of dental implants, a traditional implant is not very stable. An implant denture rests securely over implant posts for extraordinary stability.

Reason #2: Implant Support Can Protect Your Smile Structure

If you choose a traditional denture, you will certainly restore the volume to your lower face. However, over time your jawbone will slowly deteriorate. As a result, your lower face may shrink and you will require another traditional denture. If you choose an implant denture, the implants will help preserve your jaw tissue, your lower facial structure will remain healthy and full for a longer period of time, and your implant denture can continue to do its job of completing your smile.

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).

A Good Time For Wisdom Teeth Removal

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When we enter a time period that is often easiest for patients to schedule care, we like to give several reminders. We know that scheduling a visit for wisdom teeth removal is not necessarily the first thing that springs to mind when you’re trying to enjoy summer. However, it can certainly be something you’ll be sorry you missed once the fall season rolls around and your schedule is packed once more! Allow us to offer up some motivating details regarding removing third molars and why calling us right now to get your visit set up might be the best choice.

Do You Have Children?

If you have children, there are a couple reasons choosing this moment to call us to schedule wisdom teeth removal might be ideal. First, it depends on who needs their third molars removed. If it’s your teen (or young adult), summer means vacation from school and most major commitments, so there’s time for the procedure and time to heal and relax. If you are in need of removal, even if you must take time away from work, you are free of driving kids to and from school, sporting events, and more – less on your plate means taking care of this detail is much less challenging!

How Are Those Teeth?

When it comes down to third molars that require removal, any time is a good time for wisdom teeth removal (the sooner the better, of course). Why would we say such as thing? Consider the following consequences of neglecting these teeth that, without immediate removal, may wreak havoc on your oral health:

  • Wisdom teeth that need to be removed can cause discomfort
  • Impacted wisdom teeth may lead to infection or can contribute to the development of a cyst
  • Wisdom teeth can grow in the direction of existing teeth, creating a significant threat of damage
  • Erupted teeth can prove extremely difficult to care for, which may result in decay and additional oral health problems

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).

Dental Implants: Facts Versus Fiction

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When you’re trying to decide whether you feel good about the idea of choosing dental implants for your oral health – or if perhaps they aren’t the best selection for your needs – you may find yourself bogged down by conflicting details. One website says one thing, one friend says another: How do you tell the fact from the fiction? For the final word on what is factual, we are your most reliable source, so schedule a consultation and ask your questions! For the time being, find out how well you’ve been sorting the facts from the not-quite-so-true.

Fact or Fiction: Implants

Fiction: Dental implants are the most expensive treatment for tooth loss. Anything else (whether a bridge or denture) will cost you less in the long run.

Fact: Actually, this often confuses patients. It is factual that implants will generally cost you more when you initially pay for the treatment. However, in the long run they are often the most friendly toward your wallet because they need few to zero repairs and can last for the remainder of your life.

Fiction: Dental implants are only a good choice if you have tried other tooth replacement options like bridges but have not enjoyed them.

Fact: You don’t need to test the waters with other replacements. If implants fit your needs, choosing them immediately can offer additional benefits, such as jawbone health protection.

Fiction: If you want dental implants, be ready to discover that candidacy is very difficult to achieve.

Fact: Many, many patients qualify for implants. Even individuals who do not at first qualify (such as those with jawbone deterioration) may be able to become candidates by first receiving treatment like bone grafting.

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).

Getting Started: Tooth Replacement

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Are you feeling unsure about how to proceed now that you are ready to replace your tooth? If so, we urge you to remember that every patient who experiences tooth loss goes through the same thing – you have an open space in your smile that you would like to fill but getting started proves somewhat confusing. Fortunately, kick starting your journey and making your way to the finish line (a beautiful, complete smile) is a simple feat. We are happy to provide you with the introductory details you need, so you feel comfortable about what lies ahead.

Talk To Us

Do you have some initial questions about our practice? Perhaps you are curious about details that don’t necessarily warrant a visit just yet (or the only thing you are certain about is that you need a consultation to discuss tooth loss). Please feel free to contact us by phone! Our thoughtful team will be glad to take your call, answer inquiries, and set up a consultation for you to come in to speak with us about tooth replacement.

Check Out Our Website

If you have spent even a nominal amount of time online seeking out information about tooth replacement, tooth loss, and options like dental implants, you have noticed that the reliability of the literature you find is all over the place. To get an idea of what you can really expect, take a look around our website. It will provide you with a reliable, expert introduction into replacing missing teeth as an extension of what you will learn from us during a visit.

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).

Dental Sedation: Test Your Smarts

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We have a lot of good things to say about the benefits oral surgery and the importance of taking good care of your teeth, jaw and mouth. However, if you are afraid to come to an appointment, or are putting off dental care out of anxiety, you cannot reap the benefits of care. If you are highly sensitive patient, or experience anxiety about dental care, there are sedation options. Try this matching quiz, to test your sedation smarts. If you are interested in dental sedation, please let us know. (more…)

Before Your Dental Implant Surgery

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Dental implants are well-known for their success in replacing lost teeth, especially since they’re the only option for replacing lost teeth roots. The good news is that most patients with one or more missing teeth can be viable candidates for dental implants. However, there are still several factors that must be considered before implant surgery can be recommended. Fortunately, most of these factors can be effectively addressed with help from your oral health expert so that you, too, can enjoy the benefits of dental implant-supported replacement teeth.

If you have gum disease

Gum disease is the leading cause of adult tooth loss, and will remain a threat until treated. The mechanisms that lead to tooth loss, such as inflammation in the gums and damage to the jawbone, can also make gum disease a threat to your dental implants. If you wish to replace your lost teeth with one or more implants, then you may need periodontal treatment first to establish good periodontal health.

If your jawbone is too weak

For dental implants to remain in place, your jawbone must have an adequate amount of jawbone structure. Even if your jawbone hasn’t grown weak from gum disease, it may still do so if it’s been a while since you’ve lost your teeth. Without a full set of roots to stimulate it when you bite and chew, the jawbone doesn’t receive as many nutrients, which can lead to jawbone deterioration and possibly further tooth loss. For patients with weak jawbones, prerequisite procedures such as jawbone grafting can strengthen the jawbone in preparation for dental implant surgery.

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).

What Is an Impacted Wisdom Tooth?

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and cannot fully emerge from your jawbone or gum line. Because they’re the last teeth to develop, third molars frequently become impacted by molars that are already present, or because they’ve developed at an angle instead of straight up and down. Impacted wisdom teeth are common, but how they become impacted can differ from patient to patient. Today, we take a look at different types of wisdom tooth impaction, and what they can mean for your oral health.

Types of Wisdom Tooth Impaction

Partial Eruption

Partial eruption is one of the most common types of wisdom tooth impaction, and describes a molar that remains lodged underneath the gums, unable to completely erupt. The flap of gum tissue that remains over part of the tooth can harbor harmful oral bacteria, increasing risks of dental diseases as well as causing discomfort.

Mesial Impaction

Mesial impaction means your third molar has grown diagonally instead of vertically. As it pushes against the molar next to it, your wisdom tooth may only partially erupt, or it may not be able to erupt at all. In some cases, the tooth may develop horizontally, also known as horizontal impaction.

Distal Impaction

A distal impaction occurs when a wisdom tooth grows at an angle, but away from its nearby neighbor instead of towards it. Unlike most other types of impaction, a distal impaction may not cause discomfort since it doesn’t disturb your other teeth. But it can still damage your jawbone, and should be extracted to preserve the rest of your oral health.

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).