Implants: Questions You May Not Think To Ask

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You may be wondering a lot of things to yourself when it comes to choosing dental implants. However, when you arrive at our practice to discuss your oral health and implants, you may find that many of those inquiries that ran together as you thought and thought about your tooth loss suddenly disappear. What you are left with is a set of very general questions – and a sense that you missed your opportunity to receive all of the answers you need. As a result, we encourage you to consider some questions patients would often like to be asking (but don’t necessarily think to bring up) during consultations.

What Is The Success Rate?

For some, this is a scary question because patients want to know that the procedure or treatment they select is likely to do well. Fortunately, dental implants come with a very high success rate, generally around 98 percent. Curious about the details and what promotes either failure or success? Just ask.

Do You Have Any Before And Afters?

We understand that a visual representation of someone suffering from tooth loss who then receives dental implants can be very helpful for patients considering this decision. We are happy to share testimonials with you, as well as “before and afters” to help motivate you in your decision.

How Many Implants Have You Placed?

As you know, we are a team of oral and maxillofacial surgeons, which means we have placed many dental implants. Please feel free to ask about our education and experience. We are happy to explain the details, so you feel comfortable and confident.

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).

After Dental Extractions: Q&A Session

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You may find yourself wondering what to expect after your dental extraction. Are you going to need a tooth replacement to fill in the opening – or are you going to be able to heal and go on with your life without any additional restorative treatment or oral surgery? When it comes to a complete smile and replacing teeth, there is not one single answer. Extractions occur due to a variety of reasons, after all. Give us a moment of your time to receive some clarification.

Q&A: Extractions

Question: Do I need to replace my tooth if the dental extraction is part of an orthodontic plan? What if it’s a wisdom tooth?

Answer: If you need the removal of a tooth for orthodontic purposes, you are not going to need a new one. The reason you don’t need a tooth replacement after a dental extract in this case is the fact that the removal of a tooth is generally to provide more room for a smile that needs more space. As for wisdom teeth, replacement is unnecessary because wisdom teeth are unnecessary.

Question: How will I know what to do to heal after an extraction?

Answer: We will provide you with detailed after-care instructions, so you heal quickly and comfortably. If you have any questions, you are always welcome to call!

Question: How can I replace a tooth that is removed because of disease or damage? Is this necessary?

Answer: If your tooth is damaged or diseased in some way, you may require a dental extraction because other options simply cannot come to the rescue to save your tooth. It will be essential that you replace your missing tooth with a replacement. You may choose an implant or speak with us about considering other options, such as a bridge or a partial denture.

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).

Check Out Dental Implant Testimonials

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It’s one thing to find yourself turning into an expert on dental implants and it is quite another to get a real sense of what to expect. True, knowing all about the treatment, its benefits, how the procedure works, how the entire process unfolds, and more is extremely significant to your plans for your future. For now, however, we would like to steer you away from the technical just a bit with the intention of helping you get a better understanding of what your experience will be like with receiving implants.

Check Out Testimonials

To help you relate to other individuals who have experience receiving dental implants, we offer up some testimonials from our patients on our website. This may help you feel more connected to the idea of replacing your teeth with implants, more relaxed, and more capable of seeing that while it’s an extraordinary treatment – it’s very accessible to a diverse array of people dealing with tooth loss.

Consider The Helpful Information

As you will note as you take a look at testimonials from our patients, we have everything from your dental implant consultation to your recovery process strategized and planned out ahead of time. What you need to remember is that we are here to help you every step of the way, to promote your comfort, and to guide you. If you have questions – as you will see reflected in the testimonials – we are always here to speak with you, see you, and offer the assistance you require.

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) or 707-584-1630 (Rohnert Park).

Do You Have High Blood Pressure?

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Did you know that May is National High Blood Pressure Education Month? If you suffer from hypertension and are interested in seeking dental implants or require other oral surgery, this is a topic we will need to thoroughly discuss. Curious about the connection between hypertension, caring for your smile, and what you need to do? Allow us to offer some insight.

Talk To Us About Your Health

We will always discuss your oral health with you, followed by a discussion about your general health. Why? Well, we provide oral surgery, which relies on a patient being healthy and fit enough to successfully undergo a procedure. Keep in mind that in addition to speaking with us about any health conditions, it is important you make us aware of any medications you take, whether for high blood pressure or other ailments. Successful surgery and administration of anesthesia are planned based around your unique needs.

Blood Pressure and Implants

Dealing with high blood pressure is not going to directly affect osseointegration (the bonding of the implant post and your jaw tissue). However, did you know that certain blood pressure medications may increase your risk for gum disease? To promote the success of an implant, it is essential that you maintain healthy gums. Otherwise, inflammation that can result in peri-implantitis (inflammation of gum tissue surrounding an implant) may contribute to failure.

What To Do?

Addressing high blood pressure and providing you with oral health care is a bit complex but it is not impossible. Keep in mind that our goal is to ensure you remain healthy and that you reach your smile goals. The only way to achieve those goals is to schedule a visit to speak with us!

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 Reasons To Keep Your Phone Close

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Do you tend to have your smart phone on you at all times (often much to the chagrin of friends and family)? Perhaps even you feel a bit uncertain about your growing attachment to this device. While it might not be polite to keep it out at the dinner table, keeping your technology within reach as often as possible might actually provide you with some surprising oral health benefits. Learn how these ever-popular, mini computers can offer indisputable advantages for your smile.

Reason #1: So You Can Reach Us

Of course, you usually need a phone to contact us. However, you may not realize how helpful your smart phone may prove when you are in an urgent situation. Perhaps you have received dental implants have questions. If our phone number is in your contacts list, we’re just a tap away. If you need to visit us, you can quickly pull us up on your map app. You can even request an appointment online without making a single call. It makes keeping your oral health in good shape that much easier.

Reason #2: So You Don’t Miss Appointments

Are you less concerned about what to expect from your oral surgery and more worried that you might forget to show up for your appointment? Remember that your phone is very useful. Keep up with visits by scheduling them into your phone with a reminder alert – that way, you’ll show up for all oral health visits without delay.

Reason #3: To Remember The Details

Looking for a good place to jot down some notes about your upcoming treatments, how to prepare for your oral surgery, or what to prepare for your post-surgery experience? Use the notes app on your phone! You will have your phone on hand, so why not keep the information you need about your oral health close, too?

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 Reasons To Avoid Tobacco

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Are you a smoker? Do you partake in any other form of tobacco? If so, you may be aware that approaching from the not-so-distant future on May 31st is World No Tobacco Day. For those of you who would like to take advantage of this international celebration as a springboard to say, “goodbye” to tobacco, we would like to help. If you have questions about quitting, please let us know. As for offering the motivation you seek to steer your life away from this substance, we offer up a few compelling reasons to avoid it altogether, such as the fact that it can limit your candidacy for dental implants.

Reason #1: It’s Bad For You

In general, tobacco is bad for your oral health and your overall health. It is known to promote the development of both periodontal disease and oral cancer, may increase your likelihood of lung cancer, and may result in a long list of additional health concerns.

Reason #2: It May Contribute To Dental Implant Failure

It is not impossible to smoke or consume tobacco and to receive dental implants. However, the use of tobacco makes candidacy more complicated and may negatively affect the survival of your placed implant. Though we may be able to work around the issue, taking tobacco out of the equation makes replacing your teeth much easier.

Reason #3: It May Discolor Your Smile

Did you just receive a shiny new dental crown over your dental implant? Does your smile still include natural teeth? Keep in mind that both your tooth tissue and porcelain are resistant to staining but they are not able to resist discoloration 100 percent. Your smoking may cause your smile to appear yellowed. Avoid it to promote a smile that remains vibrant.

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).

Q&A: How “Real” Are Dental Implants?

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When it comes to seeing patients for dental implant consultations, we are often met with questions about how “real” implants are. Are they just like natural teeth? How are they different? These, of course, are wonderful questions to ask us. The good news is that in general, implants offer exceptional replacements for those dealing with tooth loss. As for the details, we would like to begin explaining how genuine they seem by answering some frequently mentioned questions.

Questions and Answers: Implants

Question: Will dental implants feel like real teeth? I have had dentures before and they didn’t feel at all like natural teeth.

Answer: Patients generally report that implants feel much more realistic than prostheses like dentures or bridges. For those with a single implant, they can often not recognize the difference between real and artificial teeth. While implants do not feel identical to natural teeth, they do offer some sensation. It is the closest you will get to the replication of your natural teeth.

Question: Will I get used to the feeling of my new smile once I receive dental implants?

Answer: Yes. It’s important to remember that any restoration will feel strange for the first few days and that your mind will then become accustomed to the change. From wearing braces to receiving a crown, it’s simply a matter of recognizing there will be a brief adjustment period.

Question: Is a dental implant and restoration just as strong as my natural tooth?

Answer: This is the second best option to retaining your natural teeth – and it’s quite a close second. As for your crown, enamel is one of the hardest substances on earth, making it difficult to copy. Fortunately, porcelain or zirconia is extremely durable. The implant post’s titanium is extremely strong and biocompatible, so it may very well last the rest of your life. By taking care of your tooth replacement, its parts may last for multiple decades if not longer.

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: Are They Necessary?

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When you find yourself faced with a decision regarding replacing missing teeth, you will discover the exceptional advantages of dental implants. While you like what you hear, you may wonder whether implants are really necessary, what might happen if you choose something else, and ultimately … what to do. Fortunately, we can help guide you toward understanding what makes implants a beneficial decision for missing teeth.

Do I Need Implants?

The key term here is, “need.” Of course, you will continue to survive and move through life even if you do not choose to replace your missing teeth. However, a number of negative side effects will affect your oral health as well as your general wellbeing. So, if you would like to completely restore your smile back to its previous structure and level of health, then yes – you will need dental implants. They are the only path toward achieving a complete smile that mimics your previously natural grin (replacing entire teeth, rather than just their crowns).

What If I Choose Something Else?

If you choose something else, you will be able to enjoy a full smile. Your teeth will look as though they have been replaced but you will only restore the part of your tooth that sits above your gumline (such as with a bridge or denture). If you choose one of these methods rather than relying on dental implants, you may miss out on the following benefits:

  • Other prosthetics will not protect your jaw health
  • Other solutions will require occasional repairs or replacements – implants may last for the remaining years of your life

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).

What’s the Point of Wisdom Teeth?

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Not everyone grows a third set of permanent molars – or wisdom teeth – but when they do, the molars’ development isn’t always as smooth as that of other teeth. Given their frequent problems, and the fact that you can extract wisdom teeth without having to replace them, you may wonder: what’s the point of wisdom teeth in the first place?

If you’ve already developed your wisdom teeth and they’ve become impacted, making your teeth ache by pushing against them, then it may be time to consider extracting them. If your wisdom teeth are still growing in, but have not yet disturbed your other teeth, you might still consider extracting them preemptively to avoid potential problems in the future.

Why We Have Them

The truth is that most of us do not need the additional chewing power that four extra molars provide. Experts believe our ancestors required the boost to their bite so they could consume a rougher diet of raw plants and roots. But, as humans and our diet evolved, our jaws grew smaller, and now, there is often little room left on an adult dental ridge to accommodate wisdom teeth.

Why We Have to Extract Them

For the most part, wisdom teeth are the only types of teeth that can generally be extracted without being replaced. For other teeth, the loss caused by extracting them can leave your bite imbalanced, and replacing them (preferably with one or more dental implants) is the only way to preserve your smile.

By contrast, the presence of impacted wisdom teeth can be a danger to the rest of your oral health. Since you do not need the extra chewing power, and since the molars develop at the ends of your dental ridges, wisdom teeth are not essential to the integrity of your bite or 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).

Dental Implants: Questions To Ask

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When it comes to scheduling your dental implant consultation with us, you may immediately feel a bit unsure about what you would like to achieve during your visit. You know that you are interested in replacing your teeth with implants, so you may enjoy a beautiful smile again (free of open spaces). However, you may not know what types of questions to bring up, particularly if you have just begun learning about these prosthetics. Do yourself a favor – consider a couple questions that are beneficial to ask to get yourself headed in the right direction.

“What Are My Options?”

As you begin your dental implant journey, you may wonder what you have available to you regarding replacement options that work for your needs. We encourage you to ask about this because you may find yourself pleasantly surprised. Not only can you replace one tooth with an implant and a crown, but you also have multiple options. For instance, you can rely on fewer implants placed than missing teeth to support a restoration like a bridge or a denture. We will help create a care plan that most closely suits your needs.

“What’s My Timeline Look Like?“

You may have already discovered that receiving dental implants to repair your smile after tooth loss can require a somewhat lengthy process. Though the experience is certainly worthwhile considering the final outcome, you will still need to make sure implants will work for your life. As a result, we suggest that you speak with us about the potential timeline required (from start to finish – as well as smaller goals), so you have a clear understanding of estimated completion dates.

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).