863-658-0440
Here at Heartland Periodontics, we love helping patients restore the health of their smiles with beautiful dental implants. However, many patients may not have adequate jawbone or gum tissues for dental implant placement. If this is the case, supplemental procedures can be used to help you qualify for the implant treatment.
What is Jawbone Deterioration?
When patients lose teeth and do not have them replaced, they usually stop chewing in the area where the teeth are missing. This causes jaw muscles to weaken. Over time, the body realizes it doesn’t need the bone and the jaw begins to deteriorate. This often creates a sunken facial appearance and premature wrinkles around the mouth. Ultimately, the result is jawbone density that is insufficient for dental implant placement.
What is Gum Recession?
In much the same way as jawbone deterioration, gum tissues can also recede when teeth are missing for long periods. Without teeth holding and supporting the gum tissues, they can shrink and recede. This is a significant problem for bridge and denture wearers who experience discomfort, pain, and increased sensitivity in the areas where gums have receded.
What Can Be Done to Correct These Issues?
Fortunately, there are some great options to fix issues like gum recession and bone deterioration. Two supplemental procedures that are most commonly used are gum tissue augmentation and bone grafting. Both of these procedures can help add proper volume to the jaw and gum areas.
What is Bone Grafting?
To combat dangerous bone deterioration and the characteristic flattening of the jawbone after tooth loss, procedures were created to help rebuild healthy jawbone volume. After years of thorough research, careful experimentation, and precise clinical patient trials, patients can get bone or tissue grafting right in the doctor’s office in just a few short visits. The procedure is simple. The doctor will make a small incision where the bone needs to be strengthened and attach the donated bone. The incision is then closed and the patient is sent home to heal.
What is Tissue Grafting?
During a tissue grafting procedure, a small graft of healthy gum tissue is harvested from the patient’s own mouth. After the specially harvested gum graft material is properly placed in the prepared area, the patient will be sent home to heal. The patient should rest and avoid putting any pressure on the graft area. In time, the graft will preserve the soft tissue in the dental implant area and make the gum tissues less likely to recede after oral surgery. This procedure can be performed during the dental implant placement procedure or before it is scheduled.
How do I Know if I Need Supplemental Procedures?
The first step in the process is to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kirsch. It is necessary for the doctor to fully examine your teeth, mouth, and gums in order to help you make the best decision for your optimal dental health. Gum recession can often be spotted right away, but jawbone deterioration usually needs x-rays or cat scans to fully diagnose.
Will my Supplemental Procedure Hurt?
The answer to this will depend on your tolerance for pain. However, during the actual procedure, general anesthesia will be administered to prevent any discomfort. After the procedure, any residual pain is usually well controlled with over the counter pain medications. On the whole, most patients experience moderate to light pain with this procedure that is no worse than a simple in-office tooth extraction.
Will Supplemental Procedures Add Time to my Dental Implant Procedure?
This also depends on the individual patient and their health. Sometimes patients can undergo supplemental procedures at the same time as they have implants placed. Other times, a separate procedure and healing time are necessary. The actual procedure only takes a few minutes. On average, most patients require three to six months of healing time. And as with dental implants, patients are encouraged to avoid putting pressure on the surgical site until it is fully healed.
See Dr. Kirsch Today for Additional Details About Supplemental Procedures
In years past, a lack of healthy gum or jawbone tissues prevented patients from getting dental implants. Today, thanks to bone and tissue grafting, patients in the Sebring area and beyond who were previously unable to get implants, can now take advantage of this superior tooth replacement. Call us now for a no-obligation consultation and get started on a better smile today with dental implants from Heartland Periodontics.
*For more information of the dental services we offer, please visit our sister site at
http://www.heartlandperiodontics.com/
