It’s finally the summer, and the last thing anyone wants while on vacation or on a beach at Tahoe is to deal with painful dental issues. With some preventative maintenance, you can keep your teeth in peak health for the season and beyond.
One possible reason for dental problems in the summer is dehydration. It’s easy to enjoy the warm weather and endless fun at the beach a little too much, and forgetting to listen to your body and its needs for water. If you’re chronically dehydrated, the reduced moistness in your mouth causes low saliva. This all contributes to drying out your teeth and gums, making them places for bacteria to grow rapidly.
In the summer, people enjoy foods that are high acidity like soda, fruits and sparkling water. High sugar is also present in ice cream too as a major contributor to dental decay and the need to extract teeth. So if you’re indulging in something delicious, yet sugary, make sure to brush, rinse and floss as soon as you have a chance afterward. Staying ahead of dental problems allows you to enjoy some of the best foods this season has to offer in moderation!
Keep Up Your Hygiene RoutineSometimes in the summer, we can slack off on our oral hygiene regimen. Keep on track and remember to brush your teeth at least twice a day, floss often and use an ADA-approved mouthwash. It will not only remove plenty of plaque but also reduce the risk of gum disease.
A cold glass of ice water is refreshing on a hot day, but chewing on ice cubes can be enough to ruin that feeling. Ice cubes are tough enough to damage enamel or cause chips and cracks. So while they might be satisfying to chew on, it’s not worth a chipped tooth.
A lot of people don’t realize that hot weather can activate any untreated oral infections and toothaches. Even the smallest of temperature changes can affect dental restorations like bridges, crowns and fillings that are cracked, worn out, or loose. It is possible that extreme heat in the summertime can irritate any inflammation that already exists, so staying cool is a good idea overall and getting regular check ups with your dentist to prevent any issues in the first place.
Wearing a mouth guard when playing a sport is important because it’s a simple way to add an additional layer of protection when in contact with others. If professional athletes wear mouth pieces to avoid any missing or cracked teeth, then you can too!
Our additional tips for after tooth extraction care include:
-Don’t rinse your mouth out vigorously
- Avoid strenuous activity for at least the first 48 hours
-Avoid using straws when drinking for at least three days to prevent the essential blood clot from getting dislodged or disrupted
-Take all prescribed medications from your dentist, like antibiotics or pain relievers
As for pain and swelling, you can use an ice pack or bag of frozen veggies to deal with the swelling and can place it along the side of your face. It should dissipate after about 48 hours of your procedure, but if it doesn’t make sure to reach back out to our team for an urgent follow up. The best care after a tooth extraction is to rest and make sure to pay attention to any other aches and pains that may pop up. For most people, it takes up to two weeks to recover from the procedure. Make sure to keep gauze handy throughout the entire healing process as well, as it stops continuous bleeding after the appointment.
If you’ve been putting off getting your teeth extracted, now is the time to do so. Prevent dental irregularities and issues like summer-related seasonal toothaches and sensitivity. Make an appointment today.
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Post-surgery, no matter how large or small the procedure was, is a vital step to recovering on time. Treating a dental implant is like treating regular teeth. It can take up to six months to fully heal, assuming that you treat them right from the start.
Our patients tend to ask us this question: do implants need extra care?
Taking care of your implants is not difficult and it really comes down to how much you take care of your mouth and gums. Immediately after the implant is placed, you probably won’t feel a lot of pain or discomfort thanks to numbing and sedation. Once it wears off, we highly recommend taking any prescribed pain medication or over-the-counter options like ibuprofen, acetaminophen or naproxen.
Other important tips to keep in mind during the oral surgery recovery phase include:
During the first five to seven days after surgery, stick to soft foods exclusively. Don’t eat spicy foods or drink hot liquids either, or even drink alcohol in the first few days.
The easiest soft foods to eat include yogurt, pudding, ice cream or milkshakes, and cooled down soups or purees. Some swelling is normal after oral surgery, but it increases two or three days after the procedure - contact your oral surgeon.
Dental implants don’t give you the ability to fully chew immediately, so there’s a lot of foods you need to avoid to stay healthy. This applies to not only hard and solid foods but also foods that are a challenge to chew, such as potato chips, raw carrots, and popcorn.
Dental implants are different from real teeth because they aren’t made of enamel or even the thin outer covering on a tooth. Implants can’t develop cavities, but they’re still susceptible to other dental conditions - including implant failure. Experiencing inflamed or swollen gums, chewing problems, pain, or discomfort can indicate that you’re practicing poor oral hygiene habits.
Brushing should be accompanied with flossing, since dental floss can reach those challenging places in your gum line. We recommend using floss threaders for your dental implant area. Just finish the cleaning routine with mouth rinse to strengthen the enamel of your natural teeth, and you’re on your way to feeling refreshed!
Save your teeth and put down the cigarette – it’s been proven that spending time with non-smokers, in addition to exercising, can reduce cravings and potential withdrawal symptoms.
Make sure to quit any bad habits that would lead to additional oral issues or impede on the healing process. After all, avoiding cigarettes will help with your general health, even if it’s not easy to quit smoking. In the long-term, it’s worth it because a buildup of tobacco on your mouth and teeth will worsen gum disease and periodontitis, leading to potentially higher dental implant prices and procedures.
Tooth extractions carry a small risk of complications like post-surgical infections or dry sockets, even if the latter does not occur from implant surgeries alone.
After a week or two, your implant should completely heal. It can have some tenderness but not any noticeable bleeding or pain. Other possible complications include an improperly placed implant which can cause infections.
Our team at Reno Tahoe Oral Surgery Dental Implant Center stresses that anytime you develop dental pain after surgery, it’s important to follow up with your dentist and oral surgeon to determine the cause. All in all, a tooth extraction is the best way to prevent infections and get back on track to better health.
It’s never a fun feeling to hear that you need a tooth pulled, but sometimes it’s best in order to prevent infections or worsening symptoms and get you back on track. Another stressor for many is the cost of visiting a healthcare provider.
Dental implant costs can vary from patient to patient. We make every effort to provide you with the finest care and convenient options after your tooth extraction and recovery. Feel free to call the offices here at Reno Tahoe Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Center to ask about procedures, billing, or other questions about Reno implant prices.
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Oral surgery is not an uncommon practice in dentistry. We often see patients for everything from wisdom tooth removal, dental implants and even bone grafting, and as with any surgery, there is after care that you as a patient need to be aware of once you're back at home and recovering.
Our office will send you home with instructions for pain management following the procedure. While extreme pain is rare, you may be sensitive for a couple of days.
It is likely that you may experience a different sensation in the treated area, but you should call us immediately if you experience any severe symptom like pain or pressure lasting more than a few days, visible swelling or any possible allergic reaction to medication. After your sensation returns, if your bite feels uneven, call us right away.
The first 24-48 hours, you may notice lots of bleeding and some discomfort. It's important during this time to keep clean gauze in your mouth to absorb the blood and take it easy. Stay on your couch or in bed for a day or two. Be gentle getting up out of bed, and although it's not required, a liquid or soft diet is recommended.
Changing your diet to soft, healthy foods will help your mouth heal quickly and correctly. Avoid any hard foods, nuts, popcorn, overly spicy food, chips and acidic foods. You should also avoid drinking through a straw for several days after oral surgery as this can cause excessive bleeding and complications.
Depending on the type of surgery you have done, recovery times can vary greatly, however, after 48 hours if you're still experiencing a lot of bleeding, you should call our office right away. We're happy to discuss your concerns and help you through the healing process.
As they say, accidents happen. However, that does not mean an accident should put a stopper on living life to the fullest. That is where we can help. We can provide reconstructive oral surgery that will improve your dental function, your overall appearance, and your outlook on life.
Whether you suffered injuries in a car accident or experienced a sports-related mishap, you can get the help you need to restore your smile after these kinds of events. If you have had a serious facial trauma, you may need an extensive dental restoration, also known as a full mouth reconstruction or full mouth rehab. While some patients experience missing teeth, others may have damaged their jaws and therefore require one of various dental treatments. If a patient needs a full mouth reconstruction, he or she may have one or more of the following conditions: injured or fractured teeth, missing teeth, worn-down teeth, severe dental decay, damage to the soft tissue or bones, or oral skeletal injuries.
A full mouth reconstruction is frequently recommended for accident victims as well as for people who have receding gums or suffer from recurring headaches. In either case, you can use this type of oral restoration to improve your dental function and enhance your dental profile and appearance. The first step in the process is scheduling an evaluation of the gums and teeth. This will help us to determine what procedures we need to undertake to get the desired outcome. Dental implants and the addition of fixed bridges, crowns, or porcelain veneers are usually part of the dental rehab process. We will also check your bite alignment to make sure you do not have temporomandibular joint disorder, also known as TMJ.
Give us a call today if you would like to know more about a full mouth reconstruction, whether it is an after-accident dental restoration or you wish to restore a smile that has been affected by neglect or an advanced form of gum disease. We can help you regain your self-confidence and enjoy better dental health. Contact us to schedule an appointment and consultation.
A sinus lift or sinus augmentation is a dental procedure which adds bone mass to the upper jaw typically between the molars and premolars. In order to ensure there is adequate room for the added bone graft, the sinus membrane is lifted which is where the name came from. There are myriad reasons for why patients need this procedure performed.
While the conditions for a sinus lift might be in place for years, it is not necessary to get it corrected until the need for surgery requires it. For instance, if dental implants are being placed and there is too little bone mass to attach them properly, the procedure will need to be done. Also, if there is bone loss caused by periodontal disease or by the absorption of bone from the jaw due to tooth loss there could be a need for a sinus lift. If there is not enough bone tissue between the sinuses and the upper jaw whether due to genetics, tooth extraction or decay.
To perform a sinus lift it is necessary to get bone either from the patient or another source such as a cadaver or a cow. X-rays will be taken to determine the best placement of the graft. A cut is then made where the back teeth used to be and create a small hole in the actual bone. The piece of bone is then raised into the sinus cavity and the bone graft is used to fill the space. Once the incisions are closed, the procedure is complete.
After the surgery is done, it will take approximately four to twelve months to completely heal before the dental implants can be placed. It is recommended the patient not blow their nose or sneeze frequently whenever possible to allow for healing. Any questions can be answered with a simple phone call.
If you have lost or missing teeth, there are a few different options to turn to. You can do nothing, although this could lead to more problems later on. You can turn to dentures, but these have their own problems to deal with.
The best option for a permanent replacement is dental implants. What many people do not realize is that there are different types of dental implants in Reno. For many people the idea of All on 4 implants provides them with everything they need.
Dental implants consist of two parts. An implant or a post is placed inside of the jaw bone. The bone grows around the post to secure it in place. A crown is placed on top of the implant to replace the missing tooth. In traditional implants, a post is put in place for each of the missing teeth. While it is possible to replace all the teeth with dental implants, it is a difficult and expensive procedure.
All on 4 implants offer an alternative to traditional implants. Instead of placing posts in all the missing teeth, four posts are implanted, and the teeth connect to those four implants. This makes it much easier to replace both the bottom and lower set of teeth. It is an easier procedure that is typically less costly. Want to watch an oral surgery in Reno? Click here to view a behind-the-scenes look at implant surgery (warning: graphic surgery scenes occur).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4Mw4KCpkyI
There is a place for both the traditional implants and the all on 4 implants. If there are only one or two missing teeth, our team suggests traditional implants as the best choice. As long as the rest of the teeth are healthy, there is no need for more than one or two implants.
The All on 4 implants are usually the best option when a person either needs to replace all the bottom teeth, all their top teeth or both their top and bottom teeth. It is also an option for people that are missing large sections of their teeth. The procedure is less invasive while providing the same results as traditional implants.
Snap-on dentures, when compared to dentures, have an infinite amount of benefits. Comfort is the top one, as it prevents rubbing, chafing, sore spots, and a more fuller facial profile. For more information about this or any other oral health issue, contact our oral surgery Reno office to schedule an appointment.
As a three-part process over the course of several weeks, the first part is anchoring the implant in the jaw after receiving local anesthesia. The implant needs to fuse with the jawbone during a process called osseointegration, which typically takes three to six months. The implant posts are made of high grade, durable titanium that is biocompatible with our bodies. On the last step, a unique crown to blend with the size, shape, and color of your other teeth is created and fixed to the implant post to give you a beautiful new tooth that looks completely natural.
Immediately after dental implant surgery, we request that you take it easy and get rest, and following the post-operative instructions from our experts is important. First and foremost, please avoid disturbing the wound, which is rinsing, spitting, or touching the wound for the first 24 hours after surgery. Proper oral hygiene is important for the healing process.
It’s also necessary to drink plenty of fluids and avoid hot liquids. Similar to the post-operative procedures for wisdom teeth removal, soft foods should be consumed after your surgery. Swelling is common after implant surgery, and so is bleeding or red-colored saliva for the first 24 hours. If you make sure to take care of yourself and take recovery seriously, then you’ll be back to living a life of comfort, improved communication, and a less rigorous care routine thanks to the team at Reno-Tahoe Oral Surgery.
Bone grafts have been around the medical community for decades. They provide a great treatment option for a variety of issues throughout the body. In the dental health arena, bone grafts are used to treat both bone loss issues which can come up when treating periodontal disease as well as TMJ issues.
The term bone graft simply means that the tissue was taken from one site on the body and placed in another. This is usually done when one area of the body is weakened or diseased. The graft of new tissue will jumpstart healing and new tissue growth which can help the body heal itself. For oral cavity health, bone grafts are used to treat bone resorption in both the lower and upper jaw as well as the actual TMJ site.
Bone resorption is an issue because when bone mass is lost in the upper and lower jaws it can limit the type of artificial tooth solutions available. Without proper bone mass, dental implants cannot be supported properly.
TMJ pain can be debilitating, stretching along the jawbone, the ears, face, and teeth. Applying a bone graft directly to the TMJ site can restore jaw functionality and correct chewing motion. Grafts can also be used to restore lost bone mass due to periodontal disease.
Autografts are one of the most common graft types used. This type takes the bone graft tissue from the actual patient and applies it to the affected area.
The second most widely used graft is known as an allograft. This also uses harvested bone tissue but not from the patient themselves. This type of graft utilizes bone graft tissue from an approved donor. If there is no appropriate donor, then the tissue can be drawn from a tissue bank which is where tissue harvested from cadavers is stored.
For more information on the types of bone grafts that are available, we are here to help. Give us a call today to discuss more.
So, you have already had some dental implants fitted but you are worried about experiencing additional tooth loss in the future. You may want to consider your options, in case you need to seek dental assistance later down the road. We will discuss if it is possible to add dental implants after tooth loss if you already have dental implants.
In total, a patient's mouth can hold 32 dental implants – one for each tooth. This ratio creates for a better distribution of tension when biting and chewing on food while giving adequate support to replacement teeth.
However, while one dental implant per tooth is best, they can often help support adjacent teeth. But only in cases where the patient has enough bone density and a dental bridge is fitted. Dental bridges can support several missing teeth and provides another option if the patient doesn't want to have several dental implants if it's not necessary.
Absolutely! As one dental implant can support one tooth, adding new dental implants will not cause any bad effects or differences in the overall outcome. It is recommended that if a patient experiences tooth loss, a replacement tooth is fitted as soon as possible.
When there is a missing tooth, the neighboring teeth can start drifting which can lead to long-term damage and ruin the appearance of the other teeth. It is also possible that opposing teeth can start loosening over time and result in receding gums. Gum recession will make it difficult for dental implants to be fitted in the future, so it is recommended to seek dental care early on.
If you are considering dental implants, our friendly and helpful team is ready to discuss your options. Give our office a call today to schedule a consultation.
Dental implants are becoming much more popular and common these days. People who have dentures and other forms of replacement dental pieces, as well as people who are replacing teeth for the first time are flocking to implants as a genuinely effective and long-term solution. So it only makes sense that as the need and use of this oral health procedure grows and becomes more widespread, so should the other technologies and services that go along with it. Specifically, how the area is examined by image scanning. While X-rays for decades have been the standard, everything in medical and dental science is constantly being improved upon and studied for ways to be made better and more efficient. Such is the case when it comes to cone beam technology and how it can better prepare you for implants.
One of the most critical aspects before undergoing any type of procedure on any part of your body is that you have the best picture possible of what it is that the surgeon will be going into. By getting the best and clearest images that we possibly can, we are able to detect any obstacles or other factors that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. These images are so precise and detailed that they even give a good look at the bone and surrounding soft tissues to give us a thorough understanding of the condition of the area which will be receiving the anchors to make sure that they are stable enough to accept them.
To find out if this form of dental imaging would help you decide on your implants or any other oral health procedures, give our office staff a call for more information. They are ready and waiting to help with anything you might need.
Dental implants require ample space in the jaw in order for the screw to hold securely so that the implant can be placed. In most cases, dental implants are able to be replaced without modification, but when it comes to the frontal dental implants, there could be situations when a person will have to undergo a sinus lift prior to the implant.
The procedure of a sinus lift is a simple situation that needs to be done in order to create more space between the teeth and prevent overcrowding. When there is overcrowding there could be a chance of misalignment and this is what results in severe bacterial infections and gum diseases that are difficult to treat. Without a sinus lift, there is little space for the implants to fit. If the implant doesn't fit correctly, the implant will not last as long. Although everyone who gets dental implants may not require a sinus lift, this procedure may be required when you are getting dental implants at the back of your mouth only when there is less space.
A sinus lift is not a complicated procedure and it will not take up time because this is something that can be done along with the implant when a professional knows exactly what they are doing. Neither is it a painful procedure nor is it risky in any way. It is something that will help the dental implant last much longer and prove to be more functional. A well placed dental implant can help with full functionality of the jaw and this helps you to feel more comfortable when you are eating your food. If you are looking for dental implants for the top portion of your mouth, but you are not too sure whether or not you need a sinus lift prior to the procedure then you should visit us so we can take a look inside your mouth and decide.
