Do You Need a Preliminary Treatment?
Dental implants allow patients to eat, speak, and smile with confidence again. They’ve become an ideal tooth replacement solution for many because of their comfort, stability, and durability. However, not every patient will immediately qualify for this remarkable procedure.
In order for an implant to be successful and last long, sufficient bone density and healthy gum tissue are needed. For patients who have been missing one or more teeth for a long time, it’s likely their jawbone has weakened and their gums have become infected.
At Bauer & Howard Dental Care, we can restore the health of your jaw and gums using one of our supplemental procedures. After Dr. Bauer has completed one of our preparatory procedures, you’ll be able to return to one of our three locations in Hastings or Doniphan to receive your dental implants and final restoration. Schedule your consultation today to get started.
Bone Grafting
If you’ve been wearing dentures or suffering from tooth loss for a long time, your jawbone will naturally start to deteriorate. This happens because a jawbone needs stimulation from a tooth root in order to maintain its strength and properly work its muscles. So when a tooth is missing, the jaw no longer receives its necessary stimulation and weakens over time.
Dr. Bauer can help rebuild lost bone mass using bone grafts so you can still restore your smile with dental implants. In this procedure, we’ll take a portion of bone from another area of your body and place it where your jaw is lacking bone. After the bone regenerates over time, you can come back to receive your dental implants and restore your smile.
Sinus Augmentation
When there’s not enough bone height in your upper jaw or your maxillary sinuses are too close together, a sinus augmentation, or lift, is necessary. Typically, this procedure is necessary if you’ve been missing your molars and premolars for a long period of time, and your bone has deteriorated.
A sinus lift will add sufficient bone to your upper jaw where your molars or premolars once were. After the new bone is placed, a healing period is required so it can regenerate and provide enough support for dental implants.
Tooth Extraction
Tooth extractions are required before receiving dental implants to remove any broken, infected, or decayed teeth that can impact the success of the treatment. In most cases, Dr. Bauer can extract the tooth the same day as placing a dental implant to prevent bone resorption from occurring.
Once your implant site has healed, you’ll be able to come back for your final restoration.
Periodontal Disease Treatment
- Tissue Grafting: Periodontal disease causes the gums to recede and can be hard to reverse once it’s reached its advanced stage. By using a soft tissue graft from a healthy area of your mouth, we can cover the exposed roots and restore the health of your gums so a dental implant can be successfully placed.
- Non-Surgical Laser Assisted Treatment: Bacteria from gum disease can harden and turn into plaque or tartar below the gumline, irritating your gums and leading to bleeding. At our Hastings and Doniphan dental offices, we can non-surgically treat your disease through a safe, minimally-invasive procedure with a dental laser. There’s no need for incisions or stitches and you’ll be able to receive dental implants right away.
- Laser Gingivectomy: Gum disease causes the gums to loosen and form pockets between the teeth that are a perfect home for bacteria and tartar. If gum disease has severely spread and damaged your teeth and gums, a laser gingivectomy will be performed. We use a laser to remove and recontour damaged gums so we can prepare your mouth for dental implants.
