Many people have issues with their teeth that may require a major surgery, and sometimes that can lead to an extraction. For a lot of people, a dental implant is the best solution. As this technology has made enormous leaps over the past few years, they have never looked better! Durability and success rate have skyrocketed, as well, ensuring your investment’s progress in your oral health.
Today, your Cerritos, CA dentist speaks about how a dental implant may benefit you, and why now is a perfect time to plant your future!
I’m Not Too Familiar With Them
If you haven’t heard much about dental implants before learning about your extraction needs, this might be a little bit overwhelming. Essentially, a dental implant is an entire prosthetic replacement for a tooth, connected to the jaw using an implanted post. This is set within the bone, and after healing, will operate like a fresh new tooth.
This can be a helpful solution for anyone who has lost a piece of their smile deeper than the gumline. For people with broken or chipped teeth, there may be other solutions, such as porcelain veneers. These are a ceramic cap that is cemented upon healthy dentin. Bonding may also be a help, where material is placed over a chipped or broken tooth in order to smooth smaller imperfections.
Preparing The Site
Patients understandably tend to focus primarily on the replacement prosthetic that they will receive. After all, it is what they will be encountering most on a daily basis. But there is much to be done to ensure that the foundation for the post is secure enough to maintain its health through the future.
If you have either had a recent extraction or lost your tooth a while ago, there can be issues involving the amount of bone matter present in your jaw. For those who have had a procedure not long ago, the removal of that much material at one time doesn’t give the body any time to create new bone.
The problem is that over time, the body begins to reabsorb some of the matter, in order to better preserve resources for the rest of your health. It has figured that that area is gone, so there is no point in wasting time maintaining it.
For both of these situations, you will most likely need a bone graft before the placement of your implant. This entails the use of donor material, from a source such as a donor bank or animal tissue. After this has fully meshed with your body and healed appropriately, only then can we move forward with our goals.
ABOUT YOUR CERRITOS, CA, ORAL SURGEON:
Dr. Shawn Hofkes and the staff at Cerritos Dental Surgery are highly qualified to address complex issues, including those that require oral surgery to correct. To schedule an appointment or consultation with Dr. Hofkes, contact us today by calling 562-584-4082. We proudly welcome patients of all ages from Cerritos, CA, and all surrounding communities, such as Lakewood, Long Beach, Buena Park, and more.
