Preparing for Flawless Dental Implant Restorations
Before we recommend a dental implant tooth replacement plan, our Northgate dentist will carefully examine your smile. This includes capturing digital x-rays and images that allow you and your dentist to look at the smile and partner with us to develop a custom treatment plan. Many patients need one or more preparatory dental treatments before we begin the actual implant supported tooth replacement process. For many people, these advanced dental implant procedures include bone or soft tissue grafting. Keep reading to learn more about these advanced services or contact Sage Family Dentistry to schedule a tooth replacement consultation appointment today.
Soft Tissue Grafts
You may need a gum tissue graft in a number of situations, including following significant damage from gum disease or just to improve the appearance of your smile as part of a cosmetic smile makeover. Prior to placing a dental implant post, we may also want to perform a soft tissue graft. This can decrease risk for implant failure, and for some patients, the additional gum tissue will improve the final appearance of the smile after dental implant placement. Dark-colored implant posts can be visible below the gum line for those who have insufficient soft tissue.
Bone Grafts
Bone grafts may also be necessary before we place your dental implant posts. In order to ensure successful implantation, you need adequate bone tissue available to allow the implant post to fully fuse with the supportive structures. Bone grafting can heighten, deepen, or expand the width of your supportive bone tissue. There are many different types of bone grafting procedures available, depending on the individual’s needs.
Sinus Lifts
The most common type of bone graft is the sinus lift. These bone graft procedures are performed when dental implants need to be placed into the upper jaw. Above the mouth, the large, empty sinus cavity can make it difficult to successfully place an implant without preparatory intervention. To ensure success, a sinus lift allows us to place additional bone tissue above the mouth literally lifting the sinus up higher.
Post-Op Care
As part of the treatment planning process, our knowledgeable team members will walk you through at-home care to ensure you make a full recovery. If you ever have questions or you’re experiencing increasing pain or severe bleeding after the first few days, call our team immediately. Some basic at-home care steps to keep in mind include the following:
- Keep the area clean by using gauze to absorb blood flow for the first few days. Change out gauze as it becomes saturated. You can use cool water to clean off the site but avoid using oral hygiene products unless directed to do so. You can continue to brush and floss remaining teeth as usual, taking care not to irritate the extraction site.
- Take antibiotics and pain medications as directed, and let our team know if you have questions about your medications, or you experience adverse reactions. You can also use ice packs to control bleeding, swelling, and pain.
- For the first few days, you should stick to a liquid-only diet. Gradually introduce more difficult to chew foods as you feel comfortable but avoid chewing over the extraction site until it is completely healed.
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If you have any questions about our services, please contact us today at (206) 362-6677.