Jawbone Grafting Before Placing Dental Implants

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One of the most-frequently performed oral surgery procedures is dental implant placement, which involves surgically inserting one or more implant posts into the jawbone.

While dental implants offer a number of advantages, patients who’ve lost teeth must have a sufficient amount of strong, supporting jawbone for their placement to be successful. Today, we explain how two jawbone graft procedures can help strengthen the upper and lower jaw to fortify them for dental implant placement.

What Tooth Loss Does to Your Jawbone

The moment a tooth is lost, the nutrients that once supported the tooth are rerouted to other areas of the body, and the resulting nutrient deficiency can weaken the surrounding jawbone. One the duties of dental implants is to prevent this deterioration by replacing lost tooth roots; however, if too much jawbone structure has been resorbed, then a jawbone graft may be required before implants can be placed.

Lower Jawbone Grafting (Ridge Augmentation)

When the lower jaw, or mandible, is too weak for implants, we can strengthen it by grafting bone from a donor source (or from the patient’s own body) onto the target area of the mandible. Known as a ridge augmentation, the procedure can help patients who’ve lost lower teeth regain their quality of life with dental implants.

Upper Jawbone Grafting (Sinus Lift)

Like ridge augmentation, a sinus lift describes a supportive bone graft, but in the upper jaw. A sinus lift includes slightly elevating the sinus floor, then increasing its bone mass to sustain one or more dental implants. The upper jaw is traditionally one of the most difficult areas to place dental implants due to scarcity of bone mass and surface area.  A sinus bone graft often makes it possible for patients to receive an implant-retained prosthesis in their upper jaw when they otherwise would not have qualified.

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 Causes Dental Implant Failure?

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The risks of dental implant failure are remarkably low, with an overall success rate of over 95%. However, like any surgery, dental implant placement also holds risks, however minimal, and knowing these risks can better prepare you to deal with them swiftly and decisively to avoid dental implant failure. Today, we explain some of the common problems that can arise after your dental implant placement, and how we can help you effectively address these concerns.

Dental Implants and Infection

Dental infection is one of the most prominent concerns when it comes to healing after dental implant surgery. After all, your mouth is the conduit through which all of your food and drink enter your body, not to mention your mouth houses a veritable forest of various bacteria. To avoid infection during the healing process, be sure to diligently practice excellent oral hygiene by brushing and flossing at least twice every day. Your dentist can prescribe an antibiotic and special antimicrobial mouthwash to help fight infectious agents, as well as specific instructions for the daily care and maintenance of your healing mouth.

Insufficient Osseointegration

The success of your dental implants depends on a process known as osseointegration—the fusing of your jawbone to the biocompatible titanium dental implant. Though not common, the jawbone can sometimes fail to completely fuse to the implant. With years of surgical expertise in placing implants, the experts at Santa Rosa Oral Surgery can improve your chances of successful osseointegration following dental implant placement.

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).

3 Ways Implants Protect Your Appearance

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You probably think a lot about the fact that dental implants will make life more comfortable and that you’ll have your smile back. However, do you give much thought to the very specific ways replacing missing teeth with implants will positively impact your appearance? If not, we encourage you to consider three particular cosmetic benefits you can expect from this decision – some may surprise you!

#1: They Fill Open Spaces And Protect Alignment

Essentially, choosing dental implants will completely restore your smile, so it is whole once more. Think about what this actually means! First, it means that when you smile, nobody will see embarrassing open spaces. Next, it means that those open spaces will not give way to misalignment – instead, you will simply be able to show off the same (if not better) smile you did before your tooth loss.

#2: They Restore Lower Facial Fullness

Now, think about what your lips look like with an intact smile. Next, visualize your lips without anterior teeth – your lips sink in, causing you to look much older than your true age. Your teeth provide support to your lower facial fullness. Replacing teeth with dental implants will mimic your natural teeth, so you look youthful again.

#3: They Prevent Facial Collapse

This one is quite significant! When you choose dental implants, you’re choosing to protect your jaw from deterioration. This is because implants stimulate your jaw tissue. Before tooth loss, this was a function that your roots were performing. By protecting your jaw, you avoid the shrinking of your bone structure that can lead to facial collapse. As a result, your face will remain full and supported.

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).

3 Ways To Make The Most Of Summer

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Here come the lazy days of summer! Well, probably not lazy but certainly a time to enjoy the warmer weather and make the most of the season. First, it is important to note that if you have teenagers, this is a wonderful time to take care of essential tasks (like oral health care) that present scheduling conflicts during the school year. As for your own mouth, we encourage you to consider some significant ways to keep your smile in beautiful condition in spite of summer’s carefree ways!

#1: Schedule Teens’ Wisdom Teeth Removal

Do you have a teenager in need of wisdom teeth removal? Summer break provides a wonderful option for scheduling this essential oral health procedure. If your child is in need of third molar extractions, contact us as soon as possible – this will give your son or daughter ample time to rest, recover, and enjoy the rest of summer before schools starts back up.

#2: Remember: The Sun Affects All Skin

Patients often fail to connect the negative effects of the sun to anything including oral health. However, the potential for cancer is not just something that can happen in isolated locations – it can affect your lips, too. As a general rule of thumb, we always encourage you to wear sunscreen (including sunscreen for your lips, which is easy to find in the form of an SPF lip balm) to avoid sun damage.

#3: Take A Vacation From Work – But Not From Life

It’s wonderful to take some time off from work and to head out on enjoyable vacations. However, neglecting your oral health will lead to serious ramifications you’ll be none too pleased with come autumn. If you need to see us for an exam, a procedure, or otherwise, call us up to schedule a visit that works with your calendar.

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).

Avoid Additional Tooth Loss

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Are you extremely happy with your current tooth replacement but you would like to avoid the need for dental implants in the future? Feeling proactive about your smile’s health and preventing tooth loss is always admirable. While implants will always be here to help if you need them, preserving your natural teeth is obviously preferable. The good news is that doing your best to promote a smile that remains healthy is easier than you might think. Let’s review some helpful guidelines.

Don’t Ignore Problems

If you notice something feels different or feels uncomfortable, trust your instincts and schedule a visit with us or your general dentist. The sooner a professional diagnoses a particular problem and treats it, the easier it is to prevent damage and to promote a full recovery. A cavity that is easily treatable with a filling, for instance, can become severe decay, infection, and a tooth that requires removal if you ignore it. Protect your smile and avoid the need for dental implants and other tooth replacement options by paying attention to warning signs.

Keep Those Basics In Check

You may not necessarily connect the dots between basic dental care and tooth loss but avoiding the need for dental implants and other tooth loss solutions is often fully reliant on preventive care. By brushing your smile each day, twice a day (two minutes for each brushing session), flossing once a day, and maintaining consistent cleanings and checkups with your general dentist, you protect your smile. A clean mouth avoids decay, periodontal disease, and infection – all hygiene-related issues that can lead to the loss of your teeth when overlooked.

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).

FAQs: Advantages Of Dental Implants

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Have you gotten ahead of yourself when it comes to researching dental implants for your smile? Though you have heard they’re the best, perhaps you recently realized you believe in their reputation but you don’t really know what sets them apart from other tooth replacement options. While you can easily seek out information about advantages, it’s hard to detect what’s real – and what’s unreliable – when talking to relatives or surfing the web. Great news: We are happy to answer any and all questions. Let’s get started with a FAQs session.

Frequently Asked Questions: Implant Advantages

Question: Will dental implants really help with my oral health instead of harm it?

Answer: It’s true – while you will find that replacing teeth is always beneficial for your oral health, implants go steps further than prosthetics like bridges and dentures. An implant is the only option for replacing your roots, for providing stimulation that keep your jaw healthy (previously provided by your natural roots), and for offering anchored stability all the way down into your jawbone for extraordinary wear.

Question: How do dental implants help my entire smile? I keep hearing that this is one of the major advantages.

Answer: They help in many ways. First, they fully replace your tooth, which means you will feel like you’ve got your smile back. Next, they will stand in place of your missing tooth, which will keep your smile from shifting out of alignment. As with most tooth replacements, it will help you avoid dental hygiene related challenges and disease, which can occur when open spaces are left in your smile.

Question: Will my smile look realistic once the implants are in place?

Answer: Yes. The dental implants will remain hidden beneath your gum tissue. The restorations (or replacement teeth) placed on your implants will look lifelike and lovely, customized to blend with surrounding teeth and your facial features.

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).

FAQs: Implants And Teeth Whitening

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Are you unhappy with the current shade of your smile but replacing your teeth with dental implants is of the utmost importance? As a result, do you figure that you will just whiten your smile once your restorations are in place (but then you aren’t quite sure if this is a possibility)? Perhaps you are concerned that once you get implants you are locked in with your restorations forever. Rest assured, we receive questions about teeth whitening quite often and are happy to clarify.

Frequently Asked Questions: Whitening

Question: Can I just whiten my teeth after my dental implants are placed?

Answer: Remember that we will restore your implant with a dental crown that matches your remaining natural teeth. Also keep in mind that dentists cannot bleach artificial material. As a result, if whitening is a priority, it is best done before we restore your implants.

Question: What if I am happy with the color of my teeth and implants upon completion but in later years, things change and my smile appears discolored? Will I have options?

Answer: Yes. While you will not be able to receive teeth whitening on your crowns or other restorations, you will be able to receive it on natural teeth. As a result, you may need whitening in conjunction with the placement of a new crown, to ensure everything matches.

Question: Do you have suggestions for keeping my entire smile white?

Answer: Yes, we encourage you to brush your teeth twice a day and never miss a daily flossing session. It’s also wise to avoid dark and highly pigmented foods and products (like coffee, tobacco, red wine), which are known to cause stains.

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 A Mouthguard

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Have we recently suggested that a mouthguard may be a good idea for your oral health? Maybe you have heard friends or relatives discussing their oral therapy for a particular functional smile problem and wonder if the advantages may work for you. The good news is that when it comes to protecting your smile, guarding it is a simple, noninvasive way to keep it safe from problems like accidental damage. However, you may not know much about this topic. Ready to learn a bit more? Consider a couple reasons a mouthguard may benefit you.

Reason #1: To Treat Bruxism

If you are suffering from bruxism – the habitual grinding or clenching of your teeth – this can lead to significant problems for your smile. For those wearing prosthetics like dental implants – it can negatively affect your dental work as well as your natural teeth. The constant pressure or friction may lead to erosion, sensitivity, fractures, broken teeth, and additional forms of damage (such as the development of TMJ disorder). We encourage you to protect your oral health by learning more from us about wearing a mouthguard during sleep.

Reason #2: To Prevent Activity-Related Damage

How’s your outlook for the summer? Do your plans include a lot of active experiences, from joining a team sport to working out on your own? When you think a strong impact to your teeth is a potential problem in your future (from sports equipment, for example), we strongly encourage you to speak with us about protecting your oral health with a mouthguard. As a result, you may often avoid sudden damage to your smile, which may then require significant treatment for repairs.

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).

X-Rays: Answering Your Questions

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Do you feel that you have pretty good sense of what we offer at our practice as far as services go, such as dental implants and other oral surgery options? However, when it comes to the advanced imaging we gather to diagnose you and create care plans for your smile, do you find yourself lacking some much-needed information? No problem – we will be glad to talk to you about imaging during your next visit. In the meantime, become a bit more educated on the topic with a brief Q&A session.

Questions and Answers: X-Rays

Question: Do you offer the digital type of X-rays or conventional X-rays at your practice?

Answer: The advanced imaging we offer at our practice comes in the form of digital imaging. This means we rely on computer-based technology and an electrical sensor rather than film and chemicals to create images of your oral structures.

Question: Will I be able to receive all of my X-rays at your practice? Or, will I need to go to another location for specific types of advanced imaging?

Answer: We offer a comprehensive selection of imaging options at our office, so you can receive the X-rays you need under one roof. The types of X-rays we offer include the following:

  • Periapical X-rays
  • Panoramic X-rays
  • CT Scans (Cone-beam computed tomography)

Question: Are the X-rays you provide me with going to be safe and comfortable?

Answer: Yes. The advanced imaging we offer is completely comfortable. In addition, because the imaging is digital, it produces a dramatically reduced amount of radiation in comparison with conventional imaging.

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).

3 Changes When You Switch To Implants

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When you switch to dental implants from another type of prosthetic, such as a dental bridge or a denture, you will find that you experience a few very obvious changes. Learning about what to expect can help you make a final decision if you are still thinking about moving away from your current prosthetic and going forward with implants. The good news is that your choice will only prove beneficial for your smile, your life, and your oral health – let’s learn more!

Change #1: Easier Dental Hygiene

While brushing and flossing with a dental bridge or denture is not too complicated, switching to dental implants will still prove at least slightly easier. Why? Well, because replacing missing teeth with implants is like restoring your original smile. You will need to brush and floss and see us for visits. You won’t need to make special accommodations to clean hard-to-reach areas or take anything out of your mouth throughout the day.

Change #2: No Worries About Repairs

For the most part, once you invest in your dental implants, you can stop thinking about the tooth loss you have addressed. Did you know that implants have the potential to last for the rest of your life? It’s true. While a bridge or denture will require repairs or replacements every so often, your implants may last and last.

Change #3: Enjoy Optimal Stability

Your dental implants aren’t going anywhere. They aren’t slipping or moving or flying out of your mouth – they are staying right where they are, just like your natural teeth. As a result, you can enjoy your daily life without concern (which means eating and speaking become effortless again).

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).