Teeth Extractions
The removal of single teeth may be necessary to maintain the health of your remaining teeth and mouth. After evaluating all options and doing as much as possible to save a tooth, extraction may be your best or only option. The most common reasons for extractions are:
- Periodontal disease
- Severe decay
- Badly broken tooth, beyond repair
- Poorly positioned teeth or overcrowding
After determining that extraction is necessary, the doctor will discuss options with you for replacing the extracted tooth. Having a gap between your teeth can cause the surrounding teeth to shift, creating problems with chewing and long-term dental health.
The long-term health of your mouth depends on the health of each tooth. Smile Innovations will oversee your recovery and help you retain a smile full of vitality and joy.
Wisdom Teeth Extraction
Wisdom teeth begin to erupt in most people roughly around the age of twenty. Very often, these superfluous molars emerge at an incorrect angle, causing alignment issues, pain, and even disease. The best course of action is simply to have them removed. The removal process is typically very easy and can be done in a number of ways. Depending on the tooth's stage of development and angle of emergence, the surgeon may either remove the tooth in pieces or as a whole. The surgery is finished very quickly and requires little downtime afterward.
Bone Graft
A dental implant replaces the root of a natural tooth and therefore needs a certain level of bone to support the implant. There are numerous clinical reasons why the bone surrounding the supporting teeth may have eroded over time, including the following:
- Bone defects or infection
- Acid erosion
- Cracked teeth
- Extensive cavities
- Bone is too thin or short to support implants
- Untreated periodontal disease
- Missing teeth
- Other medical conditions
- Poorly-fitting dentures
- Bone density weakness
At Smile Innovations, we identify if you have adequate bone strength to support a dental implant before completing the procedure. If not, we will use bone grafting to supplement your current bone level. A successful bone graft allows you to generate new bone to provide support for your dental implants.
The doctor will determine the best type of bone grafting for your individual needs. There are many options available such as human cadaver, synthetic, animal based, and even autologous (your own). You can discuss the pros and cons of each option with the doctor at your implant consultation.
Dental Implants
Dental Implants offer the patient a way to replace missing teeth without a denture or partial. Implants are tiny titanium posts placed into the jaw bone, they effectively replace the root of the tooth and allow for a full replacement tooth to be affixed to the implant. Dental implant technology can help preserve jaw bone strength while giving more comfort and a natural-looking smile.
Usually, the dental implant process has three steps:
- The implant is surgically implanted into the jaw bone. This is a relatively painless process as there are no nerve endings in the jaw bone.
- Over a period of time, the jaw bone actually heals painlessly around the implant to hold it strongly in place.
- A customized tooth, designed with the right size, shape, and color to blend in with other teeth, is placed on the implant.
Come to Smile Innovations to discover whether dental implants can replace your missing teeth, overcome existing denture problems, and rediscover comfort and confidence when eating, speaking and smiling!
Learn more about dental implants here.
Alveoloplasty
Alveoloplasty is the process of surgically re-contouring and modifying your jawbone ridge after losing a tooth or undergoing an extraction. Alveoloplasty can be performed either as a stand-alone procedure or as a part of the tooth extraction process.
When the tooth root is missing, the socket where the tooth used to be can end up with uneven surfaces and sharp edges, which makes it challenging to fit dental bridges or dentures in place. Smoothing out the jawbone enhances the healing process and creates a level area, allowing us to place and secure your replacement teeth effectively.
Alveoloplasty is often performed for the success of full mouth dental implants, as it helps create sufficient space between your upper and lower teeth to fit implant teeth. The procedure reduces the chances of any complications with denture construction and helps improve their stability, retention, along with your overall comfort.
Tori Removal
A torus is typically a small, harmless bone growth that can occur on the roof of the mouth or the lower jaw. Tori removal is a surgical procedure designed to remove the bone growth, which can help reduce the risks of developing oral health complications down the road.
Most of the time tori do not interfere with daily activities including eating, drinking or speaking, but if they do, removing them can significantly improve your quality of life. Tori presence may cause plaque buildup which results in tooth decay or gum disease due to having areas of the mouth inaccessible when brushing.
Tori removal is sometimes necessary for the accommodation of dentures or for preparing for other prosthetic implants. Once tori are removed, it’s rare for them to regrow. In the unlikely event that they do reappear, the regrowth is typically very slow.