Make Sure You’re Flossing Thoroughly

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We can go on and on all day, explaining to you why flossing is so important. Extolling the many advantages of plaque protection and how it will help you avoid dental implant failure. However, if you’re not sure you’re flossing thoroughly, you’re not going to reap the benefits of this simple yet extremely effective portion of your preventive care. Let’s make sure you’re not missing a beat, so your smile stays healthy.

Choose Your Floss Appropriately

For natural teeth, we will suggest you choose a dental floss that you enjoy, based on the width of the floss or tape, the flavor, and the consistency. For dental implant flossing, we may recommend you rely on “super floss” that includes a threader on one end, a spongy segment, and traditional floss on the other end. This floss will provide you with the ability to thoroughly clean around your crown and the abutment.

Floss Everything

Remember that it’s important to floss your entire smile, including between all of your teeth, behind back teeth, and around dental implants. While you may assume implants do not require flossing because they are not composed of organic materials, this is irrelevant. They are surrounded by organic material (sometimes other teeth and always your gum tissue), which means prevent plaque buildup is essential in avoiding inflammation as well as implant failure.

Don’t Forget The Super Floss

We will provide you with instructions regarding the best way to floss around your dental implants. Fortunately, this is very simple. You will generally thread the super floss between your implant and neighboring tooth, floss between the teeth, and tuck the spongy segment beneath the crown to polish the abutment for a clean prosthetic.

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).

National Facial Protection Month

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As we make our way into April, we prepare to make full use of the beautiful Spring weather that we love. While this is a wonderful time to become active – particularly if you experienced cabin fever during of any of winter’s occasional bleak days – it’s also an important time for caution. Did you know that April is National Facial Protection Month? With greater activity comes an increased chance of significant oral health injuries. Allow us to make a couple helpful suggestions, so you can enjoy your fun time without concern.

Doing Something – Anything – Active?

Believe it or not, just about any activity that includes working out, whether it’s on your own or in a team scenario, can lead to oral health injuries. For instance, unexpected impact from a baseball can end in damage to your facial structure (including a dislodged tooth). Working out on your own without a spotter can result in accidents, as well. While it’s good to feel positive about your activities, a bit of foresight is always worthwhile. We suggest wearing an athletic mouth guard, which offers exceptional protection for your mouth.

Are Your Feet On The Ground?

Are you a fan of bike riding? Perhaps roller blading is more your speed. Whatever the case, if your activity of choice places your oral health and entire head at a high risk of impact, now is a wonderful time to protect your oral, facial, and general wellbeing by choosing to wear a helmet. In addition to saving your smile, a helmet can save your life. Have questions? Let us know during your next appointment.

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).

Want Implants? Treat Bruxism First.

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Are you interested in dental implants? If so, we can agree with you that choosing implants to complete your smile offers a host of exceptional benefits (many of which you cannot receive from other replacement selections, such as traditional dentures). However, as with any dental work, if you are struggling with bruxism, it is typically essential that you seek bruxism treatment before moving forward with implant placement. Allow us to explain why addressing your teeth grinding and/or clenching is so important.

What Is Bruxism?

You may know on a general level that bruxism is a functional disorder characterized by involuntary teeth clenching or teeth grinding. We say “involuntary” because this is not a habit that you are consciously performing. Instead, it’s something out of your control. The side effects of the disorder (when left untreated) can include damage to your teeth like fractures, breaks, and even the loss of your teeth. You may find that the surfaces of your teeth become eroded, leading to difficulty eating and sensitivity. In regard to dental implant placement, bruxism poses a threat. During recovery, the last thing you want is excessive pressure and force because these concerns may lead to failure.

What Can I Do?

First, before you visit us for dental implant placement, we will become familiar with your medical history, your dental history, and we will examine your teeth and supportive tissues. If we find that you are dealing with bruxism, we will suggest you seek bruxism treatment before implants. This is usually something you will establish with your general dentist, with whom we will work closely throughout your journey toward a complete smile. By wearing a mouth guard at night (known as an oral appliance), you can prevent the trauma caused by bruxism. Rest assured, we will create a comprehensive plan for 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).

Jaw Damage Quiz

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Are you feeling upset because you discovered you have suffered jaw damage? The bad news is that this can postpone your ability to receive dental implants because they require good jaw health. The great news is that we offer bone grafting to improve the health and density of your jawbone, so it may offer sufficient support to an implant (or implants). Find out how much you know regarding jaw tissue deterioration, so you feel positive about making the improvements you need.

Quiz: True or False?

  1. True or False: One reason patients suffer from jaw tissue loss and the need for bone grafting is periodontal disease, which results in a multitude of problems.
  2. True or False: The very thing you are trying to treat – tooth loss – is often the culprit behind the deterioration of your jawbone.
  3. True or False: Choosing grafting to address your jaw tissue loss is a good option but its success rate is quite low.

Quiz Answers

  1. True. Periodontal disease is often misunderstood by patients. What begins as curable gingivitis can progress into a destructive disease that results in tooth loss and jawbone deterioration.
  2. True. When you lose a tooth, your body “assumes” your jawbone is no longer necessary to support teeth. As a result, jaw tissue begins to be resorbed. Fortunately, we can restore your jaw tissue and prepare for implants with bone grafting.
  3. False. This treatment enjoys a very high success rate, so you can look forward to improving your jaw health and receiving implants as planned.

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).

Plaque Protection: Why It’s Important

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You may wonder when you’re scheduling a visit with us, your oral and maxillofacial surgeons, why you should spend any time worrying about plaque. After all, we offer advanced treatments like dental implants, extractions, and even bone grafting. Isn’t plaque the most basic concern of general dentistry? Does a cavity really have much to do with problems requiring oral surgery? As a matter of fact, you will be surprised that protecting your oral health in nearly all scenarios includes preventing the negative effects and accumulation of plaque. Allow us to explain.

Periodontal Disease Causes Tooth Loss

Periodontal problems begin as the result of plaque buildup. The bacteria in plaque irritate your gums, which become inflamed and infected. Gum disease that goes without treatment may lead to gum recession, jaw damage, and tooth loss. Need jawbone grafting or implant placement? Plaque can lead to this need.

Implant Success Relies On Daily Care

Want your implant to last without complication? Brush, floss, and schedule preventive visits. This will protect your overall oral health through plaque removal, while ensuring the gum tissue surrounding your implant remains healthy. Otherwise, peri-implantitis (similar to gum disease) may occur and threaten your tooth replacement.

Extractions May Stem From Plaque Problems

Let’s say you need your tooth removed because root canal therapy could not salvage your significantly infected tooth. Did you know that neglecting to fill a cavity (which is caused in part by plaque) could lead to an infection that threatens your oral health? What begins as a seemingly innocent decision to avoid a tooth brushing session can eventually lead to the need for 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).

Oral Cancer Awareness Month

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As April approaches, you may have your schedule full of a variety of events and tasks to check off. We encourage you to think ahead by scheduling time to visit our practice to learn a bit more about oral cancer, what it is, and all about the screenings that help prevent it. By becoming familiar with this oral disease, you can say goodbye to fear and hello to empowerment. Allow us to provide you with some additional details, so you may begin becoming familiar with how to keep your oral health safe.

Why Oral Cancer Screenings Are Important

Before cancer officially forms, changes occur in the lining of your mouth – changes we can identify long before symptoms become obvious to you. As a result, we have the technology necessary to diagnose and treat oral cancer before it progresses. Unfortunately, when dealing with cancer, the further it advances, the more difficult it becomes to treat.

About Screenings

Oral cancer screenings are quick, comfortable, and efficient. In general, a screening includes the use of a scope that illuminates changes in your mouth’s lining that we cannot recognize with our eyes alone. It’s really that simple.

Why So Much Focus On This Health Issue?

Oral cancer is something many patients prefer to avoid speaking about because, like any form of cancer, it is scary. Unfortunately, this disease claims lives on a daily basis. As a result, the more awareness we can raise, the earlier abnormalities will be detected because patients will feel confident about prevention, rather than worried. Please feel free to ask your questions during your next visit, so we can shed more light on this important topic.

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).

Extractions: 3 Reasons To Feel Confident

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When patients learn they require an extraction, we often find that this suggestion over all others causes extensive worry. Rather than fixing the tooth, we will remove the tooth from your smile. This brings to mind a medley of questions, such as, “Will I be left with an open space in my smile?” Allow us to address common concerns, so you feel confident about resolving your oral health problem with a tooth extraction.

Reason #1: We Offer Sedation

A powerful reason to feel confident about a tooth extraction is the following fact: It will be comfortable. First, your treatment will begin with the administration of local anesthetic to numb the tissues at the removal site. For patients requiring additional numbing or who simply feel nervous about the procedure, we offer a variety of sedation options, such as nitrous oxide and oral sedation.

Reason #2: We’re Removing The Problem

Feel good about your tooth extraction – it is saving your oral health! Recognize that the reason we remove a tooth is because it is the source of a problem affecting your smile. When a tooth’s health is unsalvageable, leaving it in place may mean the spread of infection, physical injury to other teeth, the formation of cysts, the encouragement of decay or inflammation, and many more complications. Remove the problem and you are on the road toward a healthy smile.

Reason #3: You Can Replace An Extracted Tooth

Aside from wisdom teeth (which you do not need), we can replace missing teeth. You can rest assured that your tooth extraction will include a plan to replace the removed tooth. We offer beautiful dental implants, so you may look forward to a full tooth replacement.

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 Myths About Dental Implants

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As you speak with friends and family members about your decision to replace missing teeth with dental implants, you will likely find that they have experienced tooth loss (either directly or indirectly). As a result, you may hear some stories that begin with something like, “Oh, yes, my uncle has implants!” You may also discover along the way that you are not sure whether you’re faced with factual accounts or if a myth or two has made its way into the narrative. Allow us to tackle a couple common myths by explaining the truth at the heart of the matter.

Myth #1: Implants Don’t Require Care

You may have entered into a discussion in which someone is extolling the many benefits of dental implants – one of which, they explain, is that implants require no care. This is not the case! True, the implant and the restoration will be composed of artificial tissue that will not develop cavities. However, you will need to care for the tooth replacement like you do your natural teeth (which means maintenance is easy). Consistent cleaning and plaque removal will ensure the prosthetic remains in good condition and that your surrounding tissues continue to enjoy good health.

Myth #2: All Dentists Are Trained In Placing Implants

While your general dentist may place your dental implant and is legally allowed to do so, not all dentists have the same background in this field of specialization. You see, placement of implants is a surgical procedure that requires detailed case planning and extraordinary precision for optimal results. We suggest patients interested in implants visit our team of board certified oral and maxillofacial surgeons, dentists, and medical doctors. Our extensive training in implants – and consistent collaboration with your doctor and general dentist – will ensure you receive an implant with success.

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).

Dental Implants: Time-Related Questions

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When you decide on dental implants as you seek out solutions to replace missing teeth, you know that this treatment requires a greater amount of time than other tooth replacement options. As a result, though you know the entire process is much lengthier, you may have some specific questions about time-related concerns along the way. To offer some clarification, consider answers to common questions regarding implants and how they may affect your timeline.

Questions and Answers: Implants

Question: How long does it take to place an implant during the surgical procedure?

Answer: If you are receiving a single dental implant, the placement requires approximately one hour in most cases. For multiple implants, the procedure may require two or more hours.

Question: Will I need to spend many days recovering from dental implant surgery? I’m worried about missing work.

Answer: No. In most instances you will be able to return to your normal daily schedule by the day after your surgical procedure. Do not confuse your short-term recovery associated with surgery with the long-term recovery associated with your implant and bone fusing (osseointegration). This fusion will require several months, though it will take place while you continue to live your usual daily life.

Question: How many times will I need to visit you before my dental implants are restored and I am done with treatment?

Answer: The frequency of appointments may vary according to the particular patient. However, in many cases, we will simply need to see you to plan the treatment, for the placement of your implants, and then to place your restorations. You may enjoy your complete implants within only a few appointments. Keep in mind, we may also suggest a post-operative visit or two to monitor your progress.

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: 3 Exciting Benefits

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When you’re doing your best to become familiar with your tooth replacement options, you might find that there are more solutions than you first imagined. As you become more interested in dental implants and their benefits, you can be sure that you will continue to uncover exciting advantages that make them more and more attractive. For now, we offer up a few additional benefits that you may have overlooked.

Benefit #1: They Don’t Damage Nearby Teeth

If you choose a prosthetic like a dental bridge, you will discover quickly that the bridge will rest on remaining, healthy, natural teeth in your smile. Unfortunately, a dentist will usually need to remove some of the tooth tissue from these “anchor” or natural teeth, so they are prepared to support the bridge with the placement of dental crowns. A dental implant requires only support from your jawbone, so it will not interrupt remaining teeth in your smile.

Benefit #2: They Can Support A Variety of Prosthetics

You may use dental implants to support one of a variety of prosthetics, giving you a full spectrum of choices. Implants may stand on their own to support a dental crown, replacing teeth one at a time. Or, you may elect to receive implant-supported bridges or dentures, according to your particular oral health and smile goals.

Benefit #3: We Can Determine Candidacy In House

If you come to us with an interest in dental implants, you will not have to travel to another office for the required advanced imaging we need for a full comprehension of your oral health. After learning about your health status and medical history, we will gather digital X-rays (and sometimes 3D X-rays) within our own practice for exceptional convenience.

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).