Options for Denture Wearers

All-on-4

In the past, patients who needed dentures had to settle for traditional appliances held in place by adhesives that were often ineffective. A newer approach, known as All-on-4, can give these denture wearers some relief. This technique uses four dental implants to secure the prosthetic arch, eliminating many of the problems associated with conventional dentures. Four dental implants are placed in the jawbone by an oral surgeon. Because they are made of titanium, the implants fuse with the bone in the months following placement. Patients are fitted with a temporary prosthetic arch on the day of the surgery, and after the healing process is complete, they return to receive a stronger, permanent denture.  The structural nature of the implants and their ability to fuse with the bone, replacing the roots of the absent teeth, prevents the jawbone resorption that typically occurs in edentulous (toothless) patients. With All-on-4, the implants are…

Will Jaw Surgery Correct My Open Bite?

jaw surgery

Millions of patients each year turn to oral surgery to correct disorders of the chin, jaw, and jaw joint. For many patients, the treatment is part of a joint effort between the oral surgeon, the orthodontist, and the general dentist. An open bite, a condition in which the teeth fail to come together even when the jaw is completely closed, is often corrected with jaw surgery. In some mild cases, an open bite can be corrected with orthodontics, or braces, alone. For more advanced cases, it is necessary to reposition the upper or lower jaw to resolve the issue. An oral surgeon is a dentist who has received specialized training in surgical procedures related to the health of the head, neck, and face. This training includes a particular focus on anesthesiology, emergency medicine, and pharmacology. The additional education and experience in these areas prepares oral surgeons to care for you…

Am I a Candidate for All-on-4 Dental Implants?

All-on-4

With all of the benefits they offer, dental implants appeal to many patients in need of replacements for an entire arch of missing teeth. Unlike dentures, dental implants don’t slip out of place and they have a minimal impact on a patient’s diet. Bone loss can be a major concern for edentulous, or toothless, patients considering dental implants. It can be difficult for your oral surgeon to successfully place dental implants if there is not enough bone material to support the osseointegration process essential to their success. A special technique known as All-on-4 can help Dallas patients qualify as candidates for dental implants even if they have already lost a significant amount of bone. The All-on-4 technique plans dental implant placement based on typical patterns of the jawbone atrophy that takes place when teeth have been lost or extracted. When the roots of those teeth are no longer present to…