Visit a Cosmetic Dentist for Implant Dentistry to Replace Your Loose Dentures

Visit our cosmetic dentist office to get rid of your old dentures by replacing them with implant dentistry. If you are tired of worrying about dentures coming loose or feeling restricted to eating only certain foods, now is the time for a change. As an implant dentist, we can give you back the freedom to live life and eat all the foods you love, without thinking about your teeth. Here is how:

Oral Surgery

Dental implants and implant dentistry are the only tooth replacement solution that is surgically placed. Traditional dentures are secured on the outside of your gums, either by surrounding them or using metal hooks and clasps. A dental bridge is also secured in place on the outside of your gums, using two other teeth as anchors. While both cosmetic dentist solutions are practical and effective, they do not replace your missing root structure – an implant does. To start the procedure, we surgically implant a titanium post under your gums and secure it to your jawbone. This is done in each space you are missing a tooth, though, in some cases, we can use a few implants to support dentures.

What makes the process of implant dentistry unique is that the body responds to titanium like it would naturally occurring matter. Instead of thinking you have a foreign object in your mouth, the body accepts titanium, which means your jawbone and the post will fuse together through the process of osseointegration. As a result, your jawbone will provide the same level of stability to an implant as it would to a naturally occurring root. This relationship is beneficial for your new tooth and what makes dental implants the best form of tooth replacement. It is also beneficial for your jawbone because it provides the jaw with the stimulation it needs to prevent resorption. Without stimulation, the body will leach calcium from your jaw for distribution to other areas. This is what gives people a sunken and aged appearance after tooth loss. In this way, replacing dentures with implants is good for the functionality and appearance of your smile, but also your facial structure as a whole.

The process of getting dental implants takes a couple of months because we must first implant the posts, but then we need to wait for osseointegration to take place. Once done, we will have you come back to our cosmetic dentist office so an abutment can be secured to your implant at the surface of the gums. Your new tooth (dental crown) will be secured to this piece for a durable tooth replacement. Since we are a cosmetic dentist office, we will ensure your new tooth looks like a natural one and blends in completely. This is done by making an impression of your mouth and taking measurements, so the dental lab has the information they need to create the crown.

The benefits of implant dentistry by a cosmetic dentist are high. Once they are in place, you do not need to take any additional steps to care for them. Simply brush and floss like normal and schedule regular dental visits. Otherwise, you can go about your daily activities with a secure set of teeth you never have to think about.

Implant Dentist  >  Periodontist

Conditions That Can Be Treated With Our Oral Surgery

Many dental conditions can easily be treated with oral surgery. Modern oral surgery is faster and safer than ever before. Now, you can undergo oral surgery without any lingering side effects and with a fast recovery time. If you need oral surgery for any reason, don't put it off. Oral surgery can benefit your teeth and your gums, providing you with a better overall oral health. Below are a few of the conditions we frequently treat with oral surgery. For a full list, visit our office.

Wisdom Teeth

Many people have the need for wisdom teeth removal. Wisdom teeth are a set of molars, called third molars, that are normally the last to develop and the most unnecessary. Normally, developing wisdom teeth only cause more problems for patients because most jaws are not large enough to contain them, and other teeth become harmed or crowded due to the new growth.

When wisdom teeth begin to emerge, more often than not, they cause alignment issues or fail to erupt through the gums correctly. When this happens, wisdom teeth can become trapped between the jawbone and gum tissue, causing irritation and swelling. If wisdom teeth are left in this position, an infection can occur and can lead to tooth loss and permanent gum or jaw damage. Wisdom teeth removal is one of the most common oral surgery procedures we and many other oral surgeons perform, with over five million people having wisdom teeth removed every year.

Dental Implants

Dental implants are another common reason for oral surgery. If you have missing teeth, dental implants are the most permanent and long-lasting replacement option you can receive. A dental implant is a fabricated tooth root structure surgically implanted into your jawbone. The material these implants are made up of is titanium, which can actually fuse with your jawbone to create a permanency similar to a natural tooth root, if not stronger. Once a dental implant becomes fully fused with your bone after oral surgery, a realistic, tooth-colored prosthetic tooth will be placed on the implant device to fill in the area where your tooth had been and to provide functionality for eating and speaking.

Periodontal Disease Treatment

There are several forms of oral surgery performed to treat periodontal disease. Periodontal disease, also known as severe gum disease, is infection and bacteria under your gum line. When periodontal disease is left untreated, it becomes worse and can kill off healthy gums and teeth. There are nonsurgical periodontal disease treatments that should be considered before oral surgery. If the need for oral surgery arises, we can perform soft tissue and bone grafts, flap surgery to reduce periodontal pockets, and even bone surgery to reshape damaged bone to reduce craters.

These are three of the most common oral surgery treatments we perform. In addition to these, we provide a wide array of surgical options to provide a better dental health. All of our surgeries include proper anesthetics to eliminate any form of discomfort and instructions to help you heal quickly and fully following your procedure.

Cosmetic Dentist  >  Gum Recession

Modern Tooth Replacement: Implant Dentistry

Implant dentistry has taken the idea of tooth replacement to an entirely new level. We are so confident in what our dental implants can do for you, we have no trouble stating that implant dentistry is changing the entire conversation about tooth loss. You might be asking yourself who exactly has a conversation about tooth loss and implant dentistry. The truth is, not very many people consider the potential that they might need an implant or that they might lose a tooth before they are old. Of course, from an implant dentist perspective, old is relative. In a recent study, it was found that 69 percent of people over the age of 35 have lost at least one tooth and are in need of implant dentistry. Thirty-five is not old by any means, and certainly not old enough to live with tooth loss. Nobody should live with tooth loss in today's day and age. Tooth loss can be quite a devastating event in the lives of people who have to deal with it.

We rely on our teeth for a vast number of things, which is why implant dentistry is so critical to restoring lost teeth. We use our teeth to start the digestive process by chewing our foods. We also use our teeth to enunciate words, which are critical to our ability to communicate clearly and concisely. Believe it or not, your teeth play a very prominent role in your social skills as well, something most people do not realize until they are embarrassed to smile because of a lost tooth. Implant dentistry has taken an ancient art, completely modernized it, and has given you a reason to smile. When we say that implant dentistry is an ancient art, we mean it is more of a science that developed. Ancient Mayans would hammer pieces of bone or shell into patients' gums to replace lost teeth. Luckily, we have long since moved on from the hammer. Today's implants are made of space-age material and placed with revolutionary methods.

The primary material used in the manufacturing of dental implants is titanium, also used by NASA to manufacture spacecraft and other objects that have to withstand tough environments. This makes your implants extremely durable, since titanium is one of the hardest and strongest substances known to man. In addition to being strong, the way we place the implants plays a critical role in supporting the jaw bone. Often, when you lose a tooth, the jawbone loses a critical support structure in the root. The root provides stimulation to the jawbone, which in turn translates to the body as a reason to support the bone itself. When the stimulation stops, the body will stop supporting the jaw, and more often than not, this will result in bone density loss. The implants we place recreate the stimulation of the natural root, bringing back the support for the bone and ensuring its viability.

Pinhole Surgical Rejuvenation  >  Lanap Laser Dentistry Palo Alto CA

Visit a Cosmetic Dentist If Your Dental Crown Is Loose or Broken

As a cosmetic dentist, we treat patients who are struggling with a variety of oral health issues. Restorations can make it possible to save a tooth that has been infected or damaged, and dental crowns are one of the best restorative options available. Still, they are not immune from becoming damaged, nor is the tooth underneath. While a well-made crown can last 15 years or longer, there are times where a crown or the tooth underneath may become damaged, creating the need for another dental appointment.

If you run your tongue along your teeth and notice that your dental crown feels broken or chipped, you should seek immediate dental care, but remain calm. Typically, this is cause for an appointment, though not an emergency one unless you are also in severe discomfort. You can start by calling our office to schedule an appointment and then place a cold compress on your face for 15 minutes to reduce any swelling. You can also take ibuprofen to reduce any discomfort you may have. Until you can get to our office, be careful with what you eat and stick with foods that are soft and not too hot or too cold. Otherwise, you could create further irritation and damage.

As a cosmetic dentist, we also recommend that you feel how loose the dental crown is. If it feels like it may fall off, there is a risk that it could indeed do so and be swallowed. In this case, you should visit us right away. While scheduling your appointment, let us know how loose the crown is, and we will make recommendations regarding whether or not you should try to remove it on your own. Do not try this without our guidance.

When you visit our cosmetic dentist office, we will examine your damaged or loose crown and your teeth. We will need to determine whether the damage is to the crown, the tooth, or both. Next, we will create a treatment plan to address whatever issue there may be. In some cases, a damaged crown can be smoothed and repaired, while, in others, it must be removed entirely. In this situation, we will either recommend replacing the crown with a new one or replacing the tooth with a dental implant. This is particularly relevant if the tooth underneath is damaged and unable to be restored with a new crown. We are experts at this procedure, so if you do need a dental implant, we can give you a permanent replacement tooth that will function like a natural one, be beautiful, and blend in completely. There is no way to know for certain what the condition of your tooth or crown will be until you visit us for an examination, so delaying is not in your best interest.

While waiting for your cosmetic dentist appointment, be careful with all of your teeth, engage in low-impact activities, and eat soft foods until we can examine and correct the problem.

Implant Dentist  >  Dental Implants

Find Out if Dental Implants Are Right For You

From a technological standpoint, dental implants have completely changed the way we all look at tooth loss. There was time, not so long ago when the loss of a tooth meant the prospect of having to deal with things like dentures or even dental bridges. By creating a system that not only replaces the surface tooth, also known as the crown but also the lost root itself, dental implants have brought stability and longevity to tooth replacement. As with any technological advancement, the rise of dental implants in popularity has also given rise to questions from patients. Everybody wants to know if they work (yes), what the procedure is to get them, and if you as an individual qualify to get dental implants. The answer to the final question is also yes, but there are certain requirements you will need to meet in order to ensure you are healthy enough to sustain an implant. To make sure that you are indeed healthy enough and that your mouth can support an implant, we will do an extensive examination. There are a few conditions that may preclude you temporarily or permanently from getting a dental implant. Some of these are found in people with out-of-control diabetes, patients who have cancer and are seeking active radiation treatment, dental patients with untreated periodontal disease, and even patients who have a severe addiction to cigarettes or alcohol. All of these make it so there is an increased risk of the implant not taking, that the body will not adhere to the implant, and thus, the operation will not be as successful as it should be.

Dental implants are successful. There is no question about that, with some studies even placing the success rate of dental implants around 98 percent, though we prefer a more conservative estimate of 94 percent. The reason why implants are so wildly effective is the care we take before we ever start you down the road to getting implants. For every patient who comes in wanting implants, we will start by making sure your jaw has the capacity to withstand and even sustain these implants. To do this, we will begin with a full examination that includes x-rays and a CT scan. This use of dental imaging gives us a clear understanding of the capacity of your jaw and whether or not you need a bone graft to stabilize the jawbone for the implant.

For some patients who have the required density, we can proceed directly to the implant phase, which is known as immediate implant placement. For others, the process may take a little longer, as we will need to perform an alveolar bone graft that targets the upper portion of the jawbone where the teeth are typically located. Using an onlay bone graft, we are able to create a block of bone into which the implant is placed, giving the implant the stability it needs from the bone itself. Healing time is usually around six months between the graft and the date when we can start with the actual implant procedure.

Cosmetic Dentist  >  Oral Surgery

Our Laser Gum Recession Treatment is Superior to Traditional Methods

When it comes to gum recession treatment, our laser treatment options have surpassed traditional methods in many ways. Before you undergo treatment for gum recession, it is important to know your options. Don’t settle for a treatment that will leave you experiencing discomfort. Some traditional methods can leave you in a long recovery period before your gums are completely healed. Continue reading to learn more about the major differences between traditional treatment methods and a laser gum recession treatment.

Traditional Methods

Traditionally, surgery to treat gum recession involved the use of a scalpel and other dental tools to peel back gum tissues in order to access the periodontal pocket (the destroyed area of tissues and bones that is loosened). Once the periodontal pocket and loose tissues are accessed, a dentist will cut these and suture other gum tissue in the area to reduce pocket length. Bone and tissue grafting may additionally be used to reattach gums to the tooth’s surface and to add more tissue to the area. To perform your gum graft tissue will be taken with a scalpel from the roof of your mouth. This sensitive area takes time to heal from an invasive method of removal.
The traditional methods of gum recession treatment do work, but they can also have a long recovery period. Patients may also experience discomfort during treatment even when the area has received an anesthetic. When you take the time to learn about the simple process of laser gum recession treatment as opposed to traditional methods, you may save yourself from unnecessary cutting and have a faster recovery.

Laser Gum Recession Treatment

Our laser gum recession treatment does not require the use of a variety of sharp dental tools like scalpels. For many patients, this cuts down on anxiety and nervousness when facing an oral surgery or gum grafting. With our laser treatment, we will perform a minimally invasive procedure to correct gum recession. Laser treatments do not normally cause pain or discomfort during the procedure and can easily determine which gum tissues are diseased or damaged and which are healthy. This speeds up the procedure and allows us to leave the healthy tissues unaffected. Your gum recession treatment time will be shortened by the use of lasers, and your recovery time will be much shorter. Our laser treatment easily and safely removes unwanted tissues and bacteria that could injure your remaining healthy gums and teeth. Laser treatment also reduces the possibility of inflammation, leading to a more comfortable recovery period.

If you are pursuing treatment for your gum recession, consider the benefits of our laser gum recession treatment. You can significantly cut down on your surgery and recovery time while still receiving amazing results. Our laser treatment accelerates results without compromising quality. Discomfort and the chance of other negative side effects are greatly reduced so visit our office to learn more about our treatment solution and if it is the right one for you.

A Sleep Dentist Can Help You After an Accident

As a sleep dentist, we help a lot of people that have been injured in an accident.  Many people do not think about whether or not they will ever be in a car wreck or other type of accident, if their teeth will ever be damaged or what they would do if it happened to them.  This is understandable, but it often leads people to seek care in the wrong place – the emergency room of a local hospital.  If your tooth was knocked out, visiting the ER will allow you to receive medication, but it will not do anything for your missing tooth or the health of your mouth and jawbone.

Visiting our office will.

If you think that you will never have the challenge of dealing with a lost tooth, here are some facts to consider.  Every year, one in three people over the age of 65 are injured in a slip and fall accident.  These types of accidents are not just reserved for seniors.  They impact men and women of all ages and represent 9 million trips to the ER every year.  For those who play sports, in children alone, there are over 5 million sports injuries annually and that does not even consider how many adults become injured while playing a game of basketball at the gym.  Even driving a car is not safe since around 5.4 million car wrecks happen annually.  With these statistics in mind, it is more of a question of when will you get into an accident and not if you will.  Simultaneously, you never know if your teeth will become damaged in the process.  If they are, be sure to give us a call.  We specialize in oral surgery and can replace any teeth that have been knocked out or correct a jaw that has been damaged.
The benefits of visiting a sleep dentist –

Getting into an accident is traumatic enough. When you have subsequent injuries, it can be difficult to then think about visiting the dentist.  We understand that the thought of receiving dental care is stressful for some people, even if it does not actually cause discomfort.  While recovering from another trauma people tend to avoid anything that could cause them anxiety.  Fortunately, this is unnecessary when you visit our dental office.  As a sleep dentist, we can provide you with the dental care that you need without the anxiety that it brings. We can place you under a light sleep so that the dental work is performed without you being consciously aware of it.  This way your experience will be relaxing and when you wake up, your dental restorations or surgery will have been completed.
As a sleep dentist, one of the most common procedures that we perform is the placing of dental implants.  If your tooth was knocked out in an accident or you lost it due to an infection or gum disease, we can typically replace it with an implant.  This is a permanent solution that works by placing a metal post under the gums and securing it to the jawbone.  The bone and metal will fuse together through the process of osseointegration to form a new root system that your new tooth can be attached to.  All of this can be completed while you are fast asleep.