Dental Implants
Dental implants provide a foundation for replacement teeth that look, feel, and function like natural teeth. No more need to deal with uncomfortable dentures or bridges-with permanent dental implants, a person who has lost teeth regains the ability to eat and smile with effortless confidence. The teeth look and feel completely natural.
Mini Implants
Mini implants are similar to regular dental implants, but are exceptionally smaller, often less than 2 millimeters in diameter. Despite their size, mini implants can effectively serve as long-term support structures for crowns, bridges and dentures. They can be implanted through a minimally invasive procedure and effectively spaced to provide support and ease for denture wearers.
Denture Comfort™
Denture Comfort™ is an FDA-approved procedure that helps keeps dentures firmly in place and keeps them from loosening over time while providing gentle cushioning for your gums. Not only will they be far more comfortable-you can even wear them while sleeping-the procedure also dramatically slows degeneration of your ridge, the primary cause of loose dentures. While many patients must have their dentures relined every few years, you can avoid that hassle with this one hour procedure that installs several implants and a soft gum cushion to hold the dentures permanently in place. With Denture Comfort™ there’s finally a reason to smile.
OverDenture
Overdentures are full dentures that are firmly anchored to the jaw so they don’t slip around or stick together when you talk or eat. They can make life a lot easier for patients who are missing all of their natural teeth (what dentists call “edentulous” patients). Overdentures are like normal full dentures except instead of relying on the gums and other tissues of the mouth for support, they are fixed in place using either the preserved tooth roots or a pair of permanent dental implants.
Periodontal Disease
Periodontal or gum disease is an infection of the tissues that surround and support your teeth. It is a leading cause of tooth loss in American adults. It has also been linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other health problems.
Arestin®
Arestin® is an antibiotic treatment that fights periodontal disease used during scaling and root planning (SRP) procedures. Arestin is inserted in powder form into infected areas of the gums to treat any areas that SRP may have missed. SRP used with Arestin is proven to be more effective than SRP performed alone.
Osseous Surgery
Osseous surgery involves reshaping the jawbone beneath the gums to remove bacteria and the holes or pockets caused by periodontitis. This is commonly performed to treat bone loss that has occurred around multiple teeth and requires local anesthesia. Reducing pocket depth and eliminating existing bacteria is important to prevent damage caused by the progression of periodontal disease and to help maintain a healthy smile.
Bone Grafts
Bone can be removed from one area and replaced, or grafted, into another to correct cosmetic or functional defects in the mouth, or to aid in the placement of dental implants. One or more types of bone graft may be recommended depending on the patient’s condition. In a sinus lift , bone is grafted to the bottom of the sinus so that a dental implant may be placed in the upper back jaw. Ridge augmentation replaces bone in the oral ridge that has been absorbed by the body. Nerve repositioning procedures move the inferior alveolar nerve (the nerve that gives us feeling in our lower lip and chin) before placement of dental implants in the lower jaw.
Oral Surgery
Oral surgery may be required to diagnose or treat injuries and diseases in the mouth. Biopsies can determine the presence of oral cancer or tumors, which may then be surgically removed (excised). Tooth extractions prevent or treat damage caused by impacted wisdom teeth or crowding. Surgical contouring of the jaw or gum line can correct jaw alignment problems, TMJ, malocclusion (“bad bite”) or other problems.
Tooth Extraction
Extraction is recommended when a tooth becomes loose from gum disease, when teeth are crowded, when one tooth is preventing another from erupting, or when a tooth is so damaged or decayed that root canal therapy would be ineffective.
Wisdom Teeth
When they are correctly aligned, wisdom teeth pose no threat to the mouth and may even be helpful. Often, though, problems develop that necessitate their removal. When the jaw is too small to accommodate the extra teeth, they may erupt sideways (impacted), part of the way, or not at all. Improperly erupted wisdom teeth have the potential to damage nearby teeth, bone and roots, and invite bacterial infection, which in turn leads to pain, swelling, jaw stiffness and other problems. Removal by an oral surgeon is swift and effective.
Sedation Dentistry
Patients who are uncomfortable with needles and drills, who have sensitive teeth or gums, or who have a strong gag reflex can be helped with dental sedation. After one pill or injection, many patients feel no discomfort whatsoever during and after treatment. They often have little or no memory of the visit. Another benefit is that extensive treatment can be done in one or two appointments, including whitening yellow or stained teeth, replacing crowns or dentures, fixing chipped or damaged teeth, and restoring sore gums to good health.