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Dental Extraction | Tips & Guides

July 11, 2014 Afshin Golyad DDS. , , , ,

Dental Extraction | Tips & Guides

Dentists and oral surgeons (dentists with special training to perform surgery) perform tooth extractions (Dental Extraction). Before removing the tooth, your dentist (Best Dentist in Santa Monica) will place a numbing gel on the gum next to the tooth to get your gums (Healthy Gums | Healthy Teeth | A Lifetime Commitment) numb before give you an injection of a local anesthetic to numb the area where the tooth will be removed.  In cases where is desired by patients or if the extraction is complicated, the oral surgeon may use general anesthetic to put you to sleep for the amount of time it takes to perform the procedure.

 

Factors & Procedures of Dental Extraction

If a tooth is impacted or broken down badly, your dentist will cut away gum and bone around the tooth and then, using forceps (Forceps Wiki Page), grasp the tooth and gently rock it back and forth to loosen it from the jaw that hold it in place. Sometimes, a tooth must be removed in pieces if it breaks or as a result of cavity (Cavity Treatment and Prevention) can not be grasp by a forceps.

 

Post Op Dental Extraction Procedure 

Extraction | Tips & Guides Image

Extraction | Tips & Guides

Once a tooth has been removed, after the bleeding stops, a blood clot forms in the socket where the tooth was kept in the jaw bone. Initially the dentist will pack a gauze pad into the socket and have you bite down on it to help stop the bleeding. Sometimes the dentist will place a few stitches to close the gum edges over the extraction site. This will help with cases that bleeding is difficult to stop or as a result of cutting the gums (Healthy Gums and Teeth) around tooth, it is necessary to place the gum back in its place.

 

Dry Socket Due to Extraction

Sometimes, the blood clot in the socket breaks loose, exposing the bone in the socket. This is a painful condition called dry socket.  Smoking or using a straw may increase the chances of dry socket.  Some area in the mouth has a greater chance of developing dry socket compare to other areas.  If this happens, your dentist will place a medication over the socket for a few days to protect it as a new clot forms. A dry socket is not an infection and does not require antibiotics.


All About Dental Implant

April 25, 2014 Afshin Golyad DDS.

All About Dental Implant

Right now, dental implant is the best option for replacing missing teeth. Instead of placing denture teeth on the gums or anchoring adjacent teeth for a fix bridge, dental implant are long term replacements for missing teeth.

Dental Bridge Image, dental implant imageOn average about 69% of adults are missing or more teeth mostly due to gum disease or failed root canals as well as accidents. Till twenty years ago, the only choice was to make a fix bridge when possible and removable dentures when fix bridges were not possible. Advances in implant have made it possible for almost all cases to enjoy placement of dental implant to replace those missing teeth.  Dental implant are made up of a metal called titanium. It fuses with the jawbone through a process called osseointegration.  Dental implants don’t slip or make noises like fake teeth. They never get cavities but just like natural teeth they are susceptible to getting gum disease so regular brushing and flossing like natural teeth is highly recommended.

The design of an implant consists of three parts: the titanium part that fuses with the jaw bone, the abutment portion that screws on top of the implant and protrudes above the gum, and the crown that is made by the dentist that can be screwed or glued on top of the abutment.

dental implants imageDental Implant As A Replacement

Implants can be placed as replacements of a single tooth or placed as a fix bridges replacing a number of missing teeth. Implants can also be placed under the removable dentures to make them more stables.

The success rate of dental implant is based on many factors. It has been reported between 85 to 90 percent. When it fails, it is usually due to poor oral hygiene or the lack of fusion to the jaw bone. Success rate for dental implant is less for those who have poor oral hygiene, smoke, those who grind or clench their teeth as well those with systemic diseases such as diabetes.

In general, most dental insurances do not cover dental implant but in the past few years more and more insurances started to cover the procedure. The cost of dental implant can be more than the cost of removable dentures or fix bridges but in the long term it costs less since it does not have to be replaced every few years.


Missing Teeth? Discuss Tooth Implants With Your Santa Monica Dentist

February 9, 2013 Afshin Golyad DDS.

If you have lost one or more teeth due to injury, disease, decay, or another reason, tooth implants may be one solution to discuss with your Santa Monica dentist. Tooth implants are actually artificial teeth, complete with an artificial root, placed into or on top of your jaw. These implants replace teeth that you have lost and also can hold a replacement tooth or bridge. While many patients tend to shy away from tooth implants at first, assuming that they are far more complex than bridges or bonding, tooth implants can actually be healthier for your mouth, since they do not depend on nearby teeth for support, the way the bridges do.

Many patients also like the fact that tooth implants are very natural looking and feeling. They are the closest thing to replacing the tooth and forgetting that you have suffered tooth loss. If you have spaces for missing teeth, you may feel embarrassed about smiling and may have difficulty chewing your food. Dentures and other temporary replacements can feel insecure and can sap your confidence and make it more difficult to chew. Even more permanent solutions such as bridges tend to deteriorate over time and can fall out. Tooth implants are simply the most sure method of replacing a lost tooth. Unlike bridges and bonding, tooth implants can last a lifetime when they are taken care of correctly and are placed by a professional dentist.

Implants are an exciting alternative to dentures, and there are actually two types of implants used today. Endosteal implants are placed in the bone and are the most commonly used implants today. In this type of implant, blades, screws, or cylinders are placed into the actual jawbone, and each of these implants can hold a prosthetic tooth or even more than one tooth. This type of implant is ideal for those who want to avoid removable dentures or bridges. However, your jaw bone needs to be healthy and there needs to be enough of it to hold the implant securely. Subperiosteal implants are not placed within the jawbone. Instead, they are placed on top of the jaw. The posts of the metal framework that support the implants poke through the gum to hold the prosthetic teeth. These are less often used, and are generally used with patients who have inadequate jaw bone height for Endosteal implants.

In order to be a candidate for dental implants, you should have healthy gum tissue and should have a mouth that is free of gum disease. The jawbone in your mouth also needs to be healthy and needs to provide adequate support for the implant and prosthetic tooth. You dentist can tell you whether your jawbone is in good enough shape to make you a candidate for implants. If you’d like to speak to a professional about implants or other procedures, contact West LA Dental today. Our professional team has the expertise to make your smile bright again!