When you tell your oral surgeon that you’re interested in having dental implants placed, one of the first things they’ll do is evaluate your mouth and jawbone. If there aren’t any issues, they will often be able to schedule your implant placement surgery right away. However, oftentimes they’ll find that some preliminary work must be done before the procedure can be carried out. Below are 3 examples of treatments you may need before receiving dental implants.
1. Tooth Extractions
In many cases, the tooth or teeth that need to be replaced might still be in your mouth. This is often the case with infected teeth or those that have been badly damaged but not knocked out of the mouth entirely. Needless to say, your oral surgeon will only be able to place a dental implant post once there is no longer a tooth at the intended site.
While it’s often possible to remove a tooth with forceps, surgical extraction might be needed for teeth that break off near the gumline. Your oral surgeon can go into more detail about the type of extraction required as well as what steps will be taken to help keep you comfortable.
2. Bone Grafting
Did you know that your jawbone needs stimulation from your teeth in order to stay healthy and strong? This means that once a tooth is lost, that area of the jawbone will start to deteriorate. Eventually, it may reach the point where there isn’t enough bone to support an implant post. For this reason, patients who have been missing teeth for a while often need bone grafting before dental implant surgery.
Bone grafting involves taking bone tissue (or bone-like materials) and placing them onto the parts of the jaw where bone density is lacking. As your mouth heals, the new bone will join with the rest of the jaw, strengthening it so that it will eventually be safe to place a dental implant.
3. Sinus Lift
There are unique concerns associated with using dental implants to replace the teeth near the back of your upper jaw. Not only does there tend to be less bone in this area, but the sinus cavity might be too close to the site where the implants need to go. These circumstances typically call for a sinus lift.
For this procedure, the sinus cavity is gently lifted so that grafting material can be placed under it. This ensures that there will be enough bone density for implant surgery and that the sinuses will be safely out of the way once the procedure begins.
About the Practice
Here at South Florida Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, we have multiple board-certified oral surgeons leading our team. Not only can we place dental implants, but we can perform any necessary preliminary treatments such as bone grafting and sinus lifts. If you’re interested in re-completing your smile with dental implants, schedule a consultation at our Jupiter office by visiting our website or calling (561) 743-8311.