Oral Surgery

Dental Implants

What is an Implant?

If you have lost a tooth you are the right person for a dental implant. However, as there are some conditions and diseases that can affect whether dental implants are right for you. For example, uncontrolled diabetes, cancer, radiation to the jaws, smoking, alcoholism, or uncontrolled periodontal (gum) disease may affect whether dental implants will fuse to your bone. It is important to let your dental surgeon know all about your medical status (past and present) together with all medications you are taking, whether prescribed, alternative (herbal) or over the counter.

A dental implant is composed of 3 parts: the titanium implant, the abutment, which fits over the portion of the implant that protrudes from the gum line; and the crown, which is created by a prosthodontist or restorative dentist and fitted onto the abutment for a natural appearance that fuses with the jawbone.

What Are the Advantages of Dental Implants?

There are many advantages to dental implants, including:

  • Improved appearance. Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth and because they are designed to fuse with bone, they become permanent.
  • Improved speech. With poor-fitting dentures, the teeth can slip within the mouth causing you to mumble or slur your words. Dental implants allow you to speak comfortably and without the worry that teeth might slip.
  • Improved comfort. Because they become part of you, implants eliminate the discomfort of removable dentures.
  • Easier eating. Sliding dentures can make chewing difficult. Dental implants function like your own teeth, allowing you to eat your favorite foods without pain.
  • Improved self-esteem. Dental implants can give you back your smile and your confidence.
  • Improved oral health, individual implants also allow easier access between teeth, improving oral hygiene.
  • Implants are very durable and will last many years and with good care, many implants last a lifetime.
  • Dental implants eliminate the embarrassing inconvenience of removing dentures, as well as the need for messy adhesives to keep them in place.
Can Anyone Get Dental Implants?

In most cases, anyone healthy enough to undergo a routine dental extraction or oral surgery can have a dental implant. Patients should have healthy gums and enough bone to hold the implant. They also must be committed to good oral hygiene and regular dental visits. Heavy smokers, people suffering from diabetes or heart disease need to be evaluated on an individual basis. If you are considering implants, you can talk to one of our dentists to see if they are right for you.

The procedure of a dental implant:

The first step in the dental implant process is the development of an individualized treatment plan. The plan addresses your specific needs and is prepared by a team of professionals who are specially trained and experienced in oral surgery and restorative dentistry. This team approach provides coordinated care based on the implant option that is best for you.

Next, the tooth root implant, which is a small post made of titanium, is placed into the bone socket of the missing tooth. As the jawbone heals, it grows around the implanted metal post, anchoring it securely in the jaw. The healing process can take from six to 12 weeks. Once the implant has bonded to the jawbone, a small connector post called an abutment is attached to the post to securely hold the new tooth. To make the new tooth, your dentist makes impressions of your teeth, and creates a model of your bite (which captures all of your teeth, their type, and arrangement). The new tooth is based on this model. A replacement tooth, called a crown, is then attached to the abutment.

Instead of one or more individual crowns, some patients may have attachments placed on the implant that retain and support a removable denture.

Your dentist also will match the color of the new teeth to your natural teeth. Because the implant is secured within the jawbone, the replacement teeth look, feel and function just like your own natural teeth.

Wisdom teeth extraction and Apicoectomy

Apicoectomy or a root end surgery, root resection, retrograde root canal treatment or root-end filling, is an endodontic surgical procedure whereby a tooth's root tip is removed and a root end cavity is prepared and filled with a biocompatible material. Wisdom teeth extraction is a surgical procedure to remove the end of a tooth root in endodontic therapy. At Empire Dental Center the wisdom teeth is removed within a very short time and 0 pain guaranteed! The procedure is done at the clinic under local anesthesia. If you have any infections, surgery will usually be delayed until the infection has cleared up by taking antibiotics. Before removing a wisdom tooth, the doctor will give you a local anesthetic to numb the area where the tooth will be removed. To remove the wisdom tooth, the gum tissue over the tooth will be open and than take out any bone that is covering the tooth. We will separate the tissue connecting the tooth to the bone and then remove the tooth. Sometimes we will cut the tooth into smaller pieces to make it easier to remove.

After the tooth is removed, you may need stitches. Some stitches dissolve over time and some have to be removed after few days. A folded cotton gauze pad placed over the wound will help stop the bleeding.

Why is it done?

A wisdom tooth is extracted to correct an actual problem or to prevent problems that may come up in the future. Some of the problems that can occur when wisdom teeth come in are:

  • Your jaw may not be large enough for them, and they may become impacted and unable to break through your gums.
  • Your wisdom teeth may break partway through your gums, causing a flap of gum tissue to grow over them. Food and germs can get trapped under the flap and cause your gums to become red, swollen, and painful. These are signs of infection.
  • More serious problems can develop from impacted teeth, such as infection, damage to other teeth and bone, or a cyst.
  • One or more of your wisdom teeth may come in at an awkward angle, with the top of the tooth facing forward, backward, or to either side. In all these cases you should visit your dentist and extract the tooth
What to Expect After Surgery?

In most cases, the recovery period lasts only a few days. Take painkillers as prescribed , The following tips will help speed your recovery.

  • Bite gently on the gauze pad and change them as they become soaked with blood. Call us if you still have bleeding 24 hours after your surgery.
  • While your mouth is numb, be careful not to bite the inside of your cheek or lip or your tongue.
  • Do not lie flat. This may prolong bleeding. Prop up your head with pillows
  • Try using an ice pack on – off, on the outside of your cheek. Apply for 15 to 20 minutes at a time for the first 24 hours.
  • Relax after surgery. Physical activity may increase bleeding.
  • Eat soft foods, such as gelatin, pudding or a light soup. Gradually add solid foods to your diet as healing progresses.
  • Do not use a straw for the first few days. Sucking on a straw can loosen the blood clot and delay healing.
  • After the first day, gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water several times a day to reduce swelling and relieve pain.
  • Do not smoke for at least 24 hours after your surgery. The sucking motion can loosen the clot and delay healing. Also, smoking decreases the blood supply and can bring germs and contaminants to the surgery area.
  • Avoid rubbing the area with your tongue or touching it with your fingers.
  • Continue to brush your teeth and tongue carefully.
Advantages of the wisdom teeth extractions:

Wisdom tooth removal usually is effective in preventing:

  • Crowding of the back teeth.
  • A wisdom tooth becoming stuck in the jaw and never breaking through the gum.
  • Red, swollen and painful gums caused by a flap of skin around a wisdom tooth.
  • Gum disease and tooth decay in the wisdom tooth which may be harder to clean than other teeth