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Supplemental Treatment for Dental Implants
Here at Cape Dental Care, our extensive experience with dental implant placement has shown us that some patients are not immediately prepared for dental implants. If this is the case, supplemental procedures may be able to help patients prepare for oral surgery. Below are some instances where our previous patients presented challenges to implant placement and how supplemental procedures were able to help ensure a successful result. Names have been altered to protect patient privacy.
Andrew
Andrew was a 67-year-old male patient who lost all of the teeth in his upper jaw due to some issues with gum disease in his 40’s. At that time, dentures were the cheapest and easiest option. Now, Andrew wants a more permanent, functional, and attractive solution to replace his missing teeth.
The Issue
After wearing dentures for many decades, Andrew’s jawbone had flattened. The reason? When patients are missing teeth for long periods of time, they usually stop chewing in that area. Next, the body senses the weakening of the jaw muscles and begins to move minerals from the jawbone to other parts of the body. This results in a sunken appearance and premature wrinkles around the mouth that age the face. Since dental implants require a dense jawbone to support the root piece, these patients are unable to get dental implants without supplemental procedures.
The Solution
To combat bone deterioration and a flattened jawbone after tooth loss, procedures were created to help rebuild jawbone volume. Bone grafting is a simple tissue graft where donated bone tissue is attached to areas of the jaw lacking proper volume. Once healed, the jawbone is strong enough to support dental implants. Even better? Patients like Andrew can get bone or tissue grafting right in the doctor’s office in just a few short visits.
Megan
Megan was a 61-year-old female patient with three teeth missing in her upper front jaw. She lost the teeth as a child almost fifty years ago. After her accident, Megan got a dental bridge because it was the cheapest and quickest option. However, Megan now wants a more permanent and attractive solution to replace her missing teeth.
The Issue
Sometimes in patients like Megan, tooth replacement with a bridge can cause gums to recede leaving sensitive areas of root exposed. This can increase the risk of infection, pain, disease, and dangerous decay. Tissue grafting can help in these instances since it has been proven extremely successful in helping make gums resistant to recession. And because healthy gum tissues are required to properly support dental implants, a solution for gum recession is absolutely necessary.
The Solution
During the tissue grafting procedure, a small piece of healthy tissue will be harvested from the patient’s palate using a small incision. The tissue may also come from a donated source or a lab-grown sample. This procedure can be performed at the same time as the dental implant is being installed or before the placement of implants. The specially harvested graft material is then placed in the area that needs volume and the patient is sent home to heal. The graft then preserves soft tissue in the dental implant area and makes the gum tissues less likely to recede after surgery.
Try Cape Dental Care For Supplemental Procedures
Today, thanks to modern bone and tissue grafting techniques, Cape Coral patients like Andrew and Megan can now take advantage of all the benefits of dental implants. If you would like to explore more of the facts about dental implants, please feel free to review the rest of our Dental Implants InfoSite. Now is a great time to begin your journey toward a healthy smile with dental implants from Dr. Kraver and the friendly staff at Cape Dental Care!
