Prepare Your Mouth for Dental Implants
Thanks to advancements in dentistry, more patients are able to receive dental implants today than ever before. The biggest obstacles to restoring your smile with implants are jawbone deterioration and gum disease.
If you suffer from either of these conditions, Dr. Chow can prepare you for implant placement with a supplemental procedure. Patients who’ve lived with missing teeth for a long time or previously wore dentures are the most likely to require these treatments.
Can I get dental implants without a supplemental procedure?
If you suffer from insufficient bone density, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to receive dental implants without a supplemental procedure. Patients who need to increase the amount of bone in their jaw will need to undergo a preliminary procedure, such as bone grafting, in order to have successful implant treatment.
Without it, you face a significantly higher risk of implant failure, infection, or possibly even tooth or bone loss.
Bone Grafting
If you have insufficient jawbone mass to support dental implants, Dr. Chow can restore your jaw strength with a bone graft. This treatment involves taking bone tissue from a donor source and grafting it to the deficient areas of your jawbone. Your jaw will absorb this new tissue and integrate it, resulting in a strong and healthy jawbone.
Previously, jawbone deterioration immediately disqualified patients from receiving dental implants. Thanks to bone grafting, Dr. Chow can help you become a candidate once again.
Is bone grafting painful?
Bone grafting is a procedure that does require a small incision into the gum tissue to access the bone beneath it. Prior to the procedure, Dr. Chow will administer a local anesthetic to the area, ensuring a pain-free surgery. Patients can expect a small amount of post-operative soreness and swelling. However, this pain can typically be managed with over-the-counter medications as well as cold compresses.
Soft Tissue Augmentation
For patients who have gum disease, we can prepare them for implants with soft tissue augmentation. This treatment works in a very similar fashion to bone grafting, except it treats your gums instead of your jawbone.
To perform this procedure, we’ll take healthy gum tissue from a donor and graft it to the receding areas of your gums. As your gums heal, they’ll absorb the new tissue to restore your oral health and prepare your mouth for implants.
Ask Dr. Chow About Supplemental Procedures
To find out whether you need a supplemental procedure, call our practice at (807) 700-1383 and schedule a consultation with Dr. Chow. She’ll thoroughly inspect your smile, answer all your questions, and work with you to develop an ideal treatment plan that suits your needs.