How soon can I resume normal activities after an All-on-4 procedure?

All-on-4

One of the many benefits of All-on-4 dental implants is that the treatment is completed in such a short period of time – just a few hours. Of course, patients are concerned about the recovery period in addition to the amount of time they spend in the dental chair, and All-on-4 is appealing here, too. Patients often can resume much of their normal routine within a day or two of the procedure. Of course, this depends on your definition of “normal routine.” If you work in a highly active job or play sports or exercise vigorously on a regular basis, you may need to take a few more days before resuming that type of activity so that it doesn’t interfere with your healing process. Your oral surgeon can give you more detailed guidance on what activities to pick back up at what time. You should closely follow the post-operative instructions…

FAQs About Wisdom Teeth Extraction

wisdom teeth extraction

Wisdom teeth extraction is one of the most common oral surgery procedures that patients undergo. However, patients still may have questions about the process if they don’t have any prior experience with it. Here are some of the most common questions that we get about wisdom teeth extraction. If my wisdom teeth aren’t bothering me, why do I need to have them extracted? Impacted wisdom teeth have the potential to cause a number of issues – cysts, abscesses, infections and discomfort to name a few – even if they’re not immediately symptomatic. It’s impossible to predict when any one of these problems would emerge, so many patients choose to have an oral surgeon remove their wisdom teeth as a preventive measure. Why do I need to have an oral surgeon remove my wisdom teeth instead of my general dentist? When the wisdom teeth are impacted, they must be removed surgically…

What kinds of problems can arise from having a misaligned jaw?

jaw surgery

A patient’s jaws can be misaligned in any number of ways, including overbites, underbites, crossbites and open bites. When such a malocclusion (“bad bite”) is present, the patient can experience a number of problems. Misaligned jaws often contribute to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, which can be associated with significant discomfort for the patient. Any time the jaw doesn’t function properly – as is the case when the upper and lower jaws don’t meet correctly – the surrounding muscles will compensate and become stressed, which can cause pain. Other TMJ symptoms include clicking, popping or locking of the jaw as well as facial or ear pain. Misaligned jaws may also be less effective at chewing, so you may be missing out on important nutrition if you’re not processing your food completely even if you eat a healthy diet. There may also be some sort of relationship between malocclusion and bruxism, or…

Achieve a Full Mouth Restoration with All-on-4

All-on-4

All-on-4 is a unique treatment method that helps edentulous patients fully restore their smiles with just four dental implants per arch. Those four implants are sufficient to support an entire denture that is specially designed to slide into place atop them. Using this treatment approach, an oral surgeon will place four dental implants toward the front of the patient’s jaw. The outer two implants are angled beneath the gum line to support the weight of the rear section of the denture. Over the course of the several months after the dental implants are placed, the surrounding jawbone forms a permanent bond with them. The dental implants become root-like fixtures in the jaw. Accordingly, an implant-supported denture can stay in place for decades with proper care. The dental implants’ role as artificial tooth roots gives important functional benefits to All-on-4 patients. Their appliances are more effective at chewing and feel more…

Enjoy Your Favorite Foods with Dental Implants

dental implants

Has tooth loss made eating food – especially your favorite meals – difficult or uncomfortable? Do you fear wearing bridges or dentures because they may not provide the durability or stability you want in your replacement teeth? There is a solution available that restores oral function in a way that conventional prosthetics cannot. With dental implants, patients can enjoy all their favorite foods without difficulty. Moreover, dental implants will not impair one’s speech. Read on for helpful information about these revolutionary replacement teeth. What Are Dental Implants? Dental implants are prosthetics designed to replace the lost roots of teeth. Unlike other prosthetics that only rest on top of the gums, dental implants anchor replacement teeth like crowns or bridges within the jawbone. An implant is a small, screw-like post made from titanium. This metal is biocompatible and allows for osseointegration – the process where bone generates new tissue to fuse…

Experiencing symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth?

wisdom teeth extraction

It’s important for patients to be aware of the symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth so that they can consult with an oral surgeon about having those teeth removed when such symptoms develop. The most notable symptom of impacted wisdom teeth is discomfort in the rear portion of the jaw. This occurs because the impacted wisdom teeth continue to attempt to erupt even though there is not enough room for them in the jaw. This creates pressure along the gum line and pain results. Impacted wisdom teeth also have a greater risk of developing issues like cysts and tumors. Because it’s very difficult to clean thoroughly and properly in the vicinity by brushing and flossing alone, these teeth also are more likely to develop infections. Those infections can easily progress into abscesses, with the bacteria having the potential to access the bloodstream and spread throughout the body. People with impacted wisdom…

All-on-4: The Power of a Fully Restored Smile

All-on-4

Losing most or all of your teeth to disease and damage will take a toll on your everyday life. Not only does tooth loss affect oral function, it greatly affects one’s self-esteem and confidence. Many people feel that their situation is hopeless, but the truth is that there are treatment options that can completely restore appearance and greatly improve oral function. One such option is All-on-4, a method of securing custom prosthetic teeth (dentures) to dental implants. How All-on-4 Works When dental implants support dentures, it means that prosthetic teeth will not shift or move during oral function. Dental implants are titanium metal components that are embedded into the jaw. Their purpose is to function like the roots of teeth. Once the jawbone integrates around the titanium posts of implants, they will be stabilized for dozens of years, if not a lifetime. By embedding four dental implants throughout the jawbone,…

Is the dental implant prone to cavities or gum disease?

dental implants

Dental implants are often chosen by patients who need to replace a tooth that was lost due to tooth decay or gum disease. They offer a structurally complete tooth replacement and have a number of advantages over alternatives like dentures and dental bridges. Understandably, these patients want reassurance that those conditions will not compromise the replacement tooth as well. The implant itself, which is a small cylinder made of titanium, is not made of biological material so it is not directly susceptible to the effects of the oral bacteria that cause cavities and periodontal disease. However, the answer to this question is not quite that simple. Gum disease can affect the stability of a dental implant by degrading the quality of the underlying bone that supports it. Osseointegration, which is the process of bone bonding with the implant after the oral surgeon places it, is the keystone of the durability…

How closely do dental implants resemble a natural tooth?

dental implants

Dental implants are the only structurally complete tooth replacement devices available today. After the titanium cylinder is inserted in the jaw, the surrounding bone fuses with it, creating a root-like structure to support a prosthetic crown. This is quite similar to the relationship between the root and crown of a biological tooth. Older methods, such as dentures and dental bridges, only restore the absent crown, not the missing root. Yet, that root structure plays a pivotal part in the smile’s overall stability. Therefore, a patient who receives dental implants from an oral surgeon gains a number of benefits from the intervention. Dental implants help to anchor the jawbone and prevent its atrophy following tooth loss. This helps to maintain the fit of the prosthetic appliance as well as protecting the surrounding teeth from the effects of jawbone erosion in the vicinity. Furthermore, dental implants preserve more of the functionality of…

How do I avoid dry socket after having wisdom teeth removed?

oral surgeon

Wisdom teeth extraction is a surgical procedure typically provided by an oral surgeon. Having one’s wisdom teeth removed can prevent a number of oral health complications such as periodontal disease, orthodontic problems, and abscessed teeth. After your wisdom teeth extraction, it is important to allow a blood clot to form over the treatment site. If you touch the extraction site with your finger or tongue, you can dislodge the blood clot and develop dry socket. A blood clot forming over the extraction site is a necessary part of the healing process. Like a scab over skin, a blood clot helps tissue close over the empty tooth socket. Dry socket can slow down the healing process and produce pain and discomfort. What should I do if I develop dry socket? If you dislodge the blood clots over wisdom teeth extraction sites, you need to call our practice to schedule an appointment…