Patients sometimes become a bit over-excited with the (not at all accurate) idea that they can stop taking care of their smiles if they have replaced their teeth with implants. We encourage you to think of your dental implants and their restorations as your natural teeth, so you don’t make any assumptions along the way that may be to your detriment. Fortunately, by providing your smile excellent care, you can continue to avoid oral illnesses like gum disease through optimal preventive hygiene.

Yes, You Can Get Gum Disease With Implants

Don’t be fooled into thinking plaque is no longer a problem since your tooth and its roots are composed of artificial material. True, your days of worrying about tooth decay are limited only to any natural teeth remaining in your smile. However, potential gum disease concerns will always remain because that tissue is living and needs to stay healthy to support your implants.

As for gum illness with dental implants, we call this peri-implantitis. The bacteria that leads to gum inflammation and eventual infection surrounding natural teeth will also result in similar problems surrounding your implants. This may lead to serious gum health decline and implant failure if not treated.

Yes, Prevention Is Easy

Of course! Keeping your dental implants clean and your gums nice and healthy is a breeze when you commit to daily preventive care. We will provide you with specific instructions regarding the frequency with which you should schedule dental checkups and cleanings as well as step-by-step dental hygiene suggestions. For the most part, you can expect to brush your teeth two times a day, floss your teeth once daily, and make sure you’re keeping up with consistent preventive visits. Stay on top your dental hygiene and you can look forward to healthy gums that stay that way.

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).

You could read page upon page of literature explaining the scientific details of dental implants and how they work, speak with friends who have implants about their experiences, and even read message boards online. What you won’t achieve, however, without asking us the specific questions you’re curious about regarding your personal experience – is an expert response from a dental professional. For those occasional questions and curiosities about this tooth replacement option, we always encourage you to bring your questions directly to us, so we can ensure you receive the right answer. Consider some common questions and answers as a good example.

Question: How long will my dental implants last? Will I need to replace them often?

Answer: Your dental implants may last the rest of your life. While there is always a small chance of failure or damage, successfully placed implants should last for several years when provided excellent care.

Question: What can I do to prolong the life of my dental implants?

Answer: Take good care of your smile, of course. This is often the best pathway for any type of restoration or prosthetic. Fortunately, this is quite easy. You will need to continue brushing your teeth two times a day with a toothbrush that has soft bristles – don’t over-scrub or purchase abrasive products. Make sure when you brush you do so twice a day for two-minute sessions. Flossing is essential once a day. As for your professional dental care, you will need to continue scheduling preventive care appointments for cleanings and checkups.

Question: How do you know my crown will look right once you restore my implant?

Answer: We create a strategic plan before your surgery to ensure you receive precise placement of your dental implant post. As a result, whether you receive one implant, multiple implants, or a full arch of implants, your smile will appear balanced and beautiful.

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).

Are you a long-time wearer of full or partial dentures? Perhaps you have been wearing a bridge for some time. Whatever the case, you may find that you do not achieve the stability you desire from your prosthetic. Granted, completing your smile with any dental prosthetic is always beneficial, providing you with an esthetically restored grin, the ability to speak and eat with ease, and improved self-esteem. However, if you deal with slippage or must limit your food choices, choosing to support your prosthetic with dental implants may offer you the solution you’ve been seeking. Not sure you qualify for implants? You have options.

Need Help Without Implants?

Have you been wearing the same partial denture for many years? Perhaps you received your prosthetic from another practice and it simply never felt comfortable. Whatever the case, an ill-fitting device may result in trouble with fit and stability. You may also find it quite uncomfortable. Visit us, so we may provide you with a new prosthetic or offer repairs to the one you currently wear.

Or, if your prosthetics are in excellent shape but you want a bit more support, it may be time to turn to adhesives. Fortunately, for patients who wear full or partial dentures, special adhesives may offer additional support – this is helpful if you are dissatisfied with the support created by natural suction in your mouth.

Choosing Dental Implant Support

Have you heard the term implant-retained dentures? Perhaps you know them as implant-supported dentures or implant dentures. Whatever you call them, you should know that you can often receive additional stability by choosing dental implants and prosthetics crafted to fit over the implant posts. This provides you with an exceptional level of stability, while allowing you to reap the many benefits of implants without a mouth full of them. Speak with us about your candidacy for dental implants, so we may determine the best course of action to complete your smile, while improving your daily function and experience.

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).

While you may determine that dental implants seem like a wonderful fit for your missing teeth, candidacy requires a bit more than an enthusiastic desire (thought it’s a good start). When it comes to qualifying for implants, if you have a strong, healthy jaw and your mouth is in decent health, you are on the road toward shaping up as an excellent candidate. However, we often find that patients visit us with a variety of specific concerns that can be difficult to clear up on their own. Allow us to help you discover more about your candidacy with answers to some common questions.

Q&A: Dental Implant Candidacy

Question: Do I need to quit smoking? Will my smoking habit disqualify me for dental implants?

Answer: Not necessarily. It’s true that smoking and tobacco use in general may lead to oral and other health problems. Smoking is also often related to the incidence of dental implant failure. However, this is not an instant means of disqualification. Speak with us, so we can discuss the possibilities.

Question: What if I’m not in perfect health? Will you immediately turn me away for oral surgery and implant placement?

Answer: The goal is to ensure you can make it safely through a surgical procedure. If so, you are likely a good candidate for dental implants. Because each patient visits us with a unique set of circumstances, we will need to schedule a consultation with you to make a final determination.

Question: I’ve heard that implants have a 98 percent success rate – what are the chances that I make a good candidate for implants that will last?

Answer: If we determine that you make a good candidate for dental implants then the chances are immediately quite high that you will have a successful experience and that they will last. The main factor in long-term implant wear is good care. Schedule consistent cleanings and checkups and care for your smile for the best results.

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 often ask us who is going to place the dental implant during oral surgery, who will restore the implant, and how their referring dentists will become involved in the process. These are excellent questions for which there is not a single answer. While every treatment will include the participation of multiple dental professionals, the needs of every patient are completely unique. In addition to reassuring you that you can expect the assistance of a supportive team, allow us to shed some light on what else you can expect from this experience.

Who Is Involved In The Process?

First of all, it is important to remember that you are involved in the experience just as much as the dental professionals surrounding you. If you have questions along the way or concerns, we encourage you to speak up, so we can ensure you feel confident and informed about what is happening and happy with the outcome. You can expect the course of treatment to include contributions by your referring dentist and a member of our team (your oral and maxillofacial surgeon).

Who Plans My Implants?

We will all plan your implants together. We will maintain close communication with you and your dentist to make sure the process moves along smoothly. By collaborating in a team effort, we will begin with detailed case planning, creating and looking over advanced imaging or models of your mouth. The goal is to plan strategic placement of an implant in your smile for a beautiful finish and stable support. In part, our meeting and planning will focus on what type of restoration you desire. For instance, you may choose a dental crown to replace a single tooth. Or, you may replace multiple teeth with a bridge, partial denture, or full denture.

Who Restores My Implants?

Once your dental implants have “become one” with your jawbone through a process called osseointegration, it will be time to permanently restore the implant. Either your dentist or the oral and maxillofacial surgeon you are working with on our team will place your restoration, depending on the unique care plan we have tailored to your smile.

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).

Choosing the appropriate tooth replacement solution for your smile is often easiest accomplished by paying close attention to the ways a particular treatment benefits your smile. Once you rule out those dental prosthetics that don’t work for you, you may wish to focus on the major highlights of those that do. If you are considering dental implants to restore your smile, for instance, becoming more familiar with treatment advantages may greatly contribute to your ability to make a confident, informed final decision.

Dental Implant Benefits

1. They Protect Your Smile Alignment. You know that a dental implant is a titanium post that replaces your tooth’s roots – this is the only tooth replacement solution that restores missing roots. Fortunately, one benefit of this feature is that the implant acts as a placeholder, providing significant protection against the misalignment that occurs as a result of tooth loss.
2. Implants Restore The Beauty and Function of Your Smile. Restored implants look and function like your natural teeth. Unlike other prosthetics that may result in slippage or other concerns, an implant is fused to your jawbone, which provides exceptional stability to the restoration of your choice. The result? A smile that looks natural and lifelike. You can also expect to return to your previously enjoyed effective chewing abilities and capacity for articulate speech.
3. Implants Keep Your Jaw Healthy. Did you know that the roots of your teeth stimulate your jawbone? This process keeps your jaw healthy and full. When you lose one or more teeth, the stimulation decreases – this may result in the resorption and subsequent break down of your jawbone. As a result of the way dental implants replace your roots, you can expect the stimulation process to become active again, as well.

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).