Do I Need a Surgery Before Getting Implants?
Learning about dental implants and their benefits gets many of our patients excited for the life-changing treatment. After going through the tooth replacement process, you’ll be able to reveal a completely rejuvenated and beautiful smile that radiates confidence.
Many of our patients aren’t aware that not everyone will automatically qualify for this procedure. Some patients may have been wearing dentures for too long and lost the majority of their jawbone density. Others may have lost their teeth due to advanced gum disease, which we’ll need to restore in order for implants to be successful.
Before we proceed with treatment, Dr. Allain will first need to examine your oral health. Here he will be able to identify if your teeth, gums, and jawbone are strong enough to support dental implants. If you need a supplemental treatment, we will set up an appointment prior to your restorative procedure to ensure a healthy smile.
Our Preparatory Procedures
At West Oakland Advanced Dental Artistry, we want all of our patients suffering from tooth loss to attain the smile of their dreams. Under most circumstances, Dr. Allain can help rebuild and protect any lost bone or damaged gums in order to prepare your mouth for dental implants.
To do so, we offer both bone grafting and gum disease treatments that will ensure your new restorative treatment lasts a lifetime.
Bone Grafting
When there aren’t enough teeth supporting and stimulating your jawbone, it will slowly weaken over time. If you’ve been missing teeth and wearing dentures for months or even years, it’s likely that you’ve lost a good bit of your bone density.
Once you’ve suffered from bone resorption, bone grafts can be used to help reconstruct it. Bone grafts are donated tissue placed over the area lacking bone mass. This process will help regrow any lost bone and help preserve your empty tooth sockets for your future implants.
Over the course of recovery, the bone attaches to the grafted tissue, strengthening the overall structure of the jawbone. This ensures that the bone can successfully support future dental implant treatment.
Gum Disease Treatment
Another common procedure we offer to prepare patients for their restorative surgery is gum disease treatment. Also known as periodontitis, gum disease is an extremely common dental health problem that affects half of Americans over the age of 30.
As plaque builds up and develops into tartar, it hardens beneath the gum line. This is the leading cause of non-traumatic tooth loss. In order to replace these missing teeth without risking future implant failure, our Dr. Allain will need to treat your case of periodontal disease.
Root planing and scaling are general deep cleaning routines to fight off the first few stages of gum disease. If you’ve been living with advanced periodontitis and have lost teeth due to it, then soft tissue augmentation will be necessary.
Known as tissue grafting, this procedure is similar to bone grafting, however, we take a small portion of tissue from the roof of your mouth. The new tissue graft helps preserve your gums and reinforces them for your implants.
For Quality Care, Visit Our Highland Office Today
In order to determine if you’re a good candidate for dental implants or if you’ll require a supplemental treatment, you’ll need to schedule a consultation with Dr. Allain. After your appointment, we can begin with your necessary care to help you achieve your well-deserved smile. Thanks to our remarkable restorative treatment, you can get ready to eat again with no hassle, speak with ease, and smile with confidence.
