Practice Feature - Dr. Snehal Patel

In Lorton and Springfield, oral surgery is in the experienced hands of Snehal Patel, DDS, MD. He and his team work tirelessly to provide the best care possible to their cities and communities. Through continued education, dedicated years of practice, and community service, Lorton Springfield Dental has become a one-stop shop for anyone’s oral surgery and dental implant needs.

Any success we experience here is due to our customer commitment and high quality treatments. We strive to better ourselves in delivering efficient, precise procedures that put patient comfort first. Gentle treatments and advanced technology equip us to serve. From bone grafting and sinus augmentation to dental implant placement and wisdom teeth extraction, we are prepared to put patients on the path to a beautiful, healthy smile.

A Leader in the Oral Surgery Field and the Community

Dr. Patel gives much of his time serving communities beyond just Lorton and Springfield. He has been to Ecuador and Columbia to participate with Healing the Children, and aided children suffering cleft lips and palates. He completed his dental and physician education at Columbia University, and finished his residency at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City. He maintains a lead in the oral surgery industry with his membership to the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.  

Proof of our commitment is the many awards we have earned. We won the Patient’s Choice Award from 2012-2014, and Dr. Patel has won Compassionate Doctor Recognition and an On-Time Doctor Award (2014). Our care, the best in Lorton and Springfield, helps patients feel relaxed and safe.

Contact Lorton Springfield Dental Today

For care that will repair the jaws and gums and restore the confidence of a long-lasting smile, call us today. We want nothing more than to deliver quality service that treats each patient with genuine care. We look forward to hearing from you!

Tips for Good Jaw Health

Taking care of oral health is more than just good dental care at home. It also including practicing good, consistent hygiene habits and making wise choices daily to protect the longevity of the jaw. Although brushing and flossing is one of the best ways to protect the smile, our oral surgeon in Northern Virginia has some tips that can improve oral health all the way down to the bone.

Good Habits Enforce a Healthy Smile

The jaw is a sensitive machine, and it’s important to practice good habits to reverse the effects of normal wear and tear as well as combat the effects of negative habits. Here are some good habits to follow for improved jaw health:

Eat and Drink Healthy: Drinking water as opposed to sodas, coffee, or alcoholic beverages will leave the mouth cleaner. Sugary and alcoholic beverages encourages bacteria to grow in the teeth and gums. If left alone, this bacteria will decay the teeth and jaw. Eating healthy foods will also contribute to the cleanliness of the teeth and jaws, strengthening the jaw muscles to do exactly what they’re supposed to. Chewing gum is not recommended, as it puts undue stress on the jaw muscles.

Besides eating and drinking, it’s important to protect the jaw from other potential diseases. The chances of developing oral cancer when smoking or chewing tobacco are significantly higher, and cutting down on these habits will reduce inflammation and gum disease in the mouth. Nicotine and alcohol have adverse effects on the mouth, and research has even found that e-cigarettes and vaping aren’t good for the mouth either.

Relax Facial Muscles with Treatment: Many Americans suffer from TMD, where the jaw muscles are tight and do not function properly. This is often due to bruxism, or teeth grinding. This can happen unconsciously at night, or during the day. Bruxing at night wears down teeth, leading to fractures and cracks that can have long-term effects on the smile. The grinding motion also makes the muscles tight from the jaw to the neck.

Treatments for bruxism include oral appliances like night guards, which will protect the teeth from breaking and force the jaws to relax at night time. These are also important for sports and activities where the jaws and teeth can get damaged. Many oral surgeons prescribe the mouth guards and have them custom-fit to each patient’s mouth.

Call Lorton, Springfield Oral Surgeons for Great Jaw Health

Call one of our offices today to receive an examination for your smile. If you are experiencing tight jaw muscles, or your mouth feels uncomfortable, please contact us today. 

When is a Bone Graft Necessary?

Although it sounds intimidating, receiving a bone graft is a simple procedure that has many benefits. Typically, individuals require bone grafts when their jaw isn’t in a condition to receive important oral treatments including dental implant placement, or when your gums need to be restored.

Bone Grafts Solve Oral Health Issues

After having teeth extracted or losing them through an accident, the root structure is no longer in the jaw. The jaw bone, after time, loses strength in the area where the tooth was. Called resorption, this process absorbs turns the tooth-supporting structures into nutrients for the body. If many teeth are missing or have been extracted, the whole jaw may suffer from losing strength. Your jaws may shrink as a result of oral cancer or other diseases. Bone grafting is a necessary procedure for patients to have a healthy smile again.

Shrinking jaws make the face look concave and saggy, and wrinkles form around the mouth area. This adds years to the smile. The bone graft procedures restores strength and bone density to the jaw, preparing it for further treatment.

Bone Grafts Provide a New Foundation for other Treatments

When receiving restorative treatments, or procedures that require strong bone structure, bone grafts are needed. Dental implant placement, for example, requires the bone to be a certain density and width to comfortably and safely complete the procedure. Dental implants won’t fuse with the bone properly without enough bone tissue. Bone grafts encourage new tissue growth and restore the full function of the jaw.

After wisdom teeth or regular teeth are extracted, your oral surgeon may also give patients bone grafts to inspire the bone tissue to grow into the empty space. This will protect the jaw from resorption, and ensure the gums continue to hold their natural line. This is often the first step before dental implants, bridges, or dentures are placed. In the case of wisdom teeth removal, a bone graft will aid in healing for long-term oral health. 

Looking to Restore the Smile? Call your Lorton Oral Surgeon

Bone grafts are a common and easy procedure for oral surgeons like Dr. Snehal Patel. Referrals can fill out the online form, and are welcome to contact us today to schedule treatment consultations.

Oral Surgery to Protect Dental Hygiene

Gum disease, jaw and teeth misalignment, or dental accidents can ruin the functionality of the mouth. At Lorton Springfield Dental Implants & Oral Surgery, we want to restore your smile to working order and make sure it is fully functional and in optimal health. Below are some oral procedures that will protect your dentition from bone loss, oral diseases, and misalignment.

Bone Grafting

This procedure has wide applications in aiding the dentition to be healthy. After losing a tooth or teeth, the jaw bone slowly deteriorates, and it can grow too weak to support other treatments like dental implants and bridges. In this procedure, your Lorton oral surgeon will place natural tissue into your jaw to support future tissue regeneration. Diseased or deteriorated bones can have tissue replaced which will protect your everyday oral function. This also prepares tissue for dental implant placement, ensuring long-term restorative success.

Teeth Extraction

Extracting teeth keep the whole mouth safe from infection and alleviate oral pain. As gum disease progresses into its more serious form of periodontitis, bacteria infect the supportive connective tissues that hold teeth in place.  As this support weakens, teeth become loose and often need to be removed in order to thoroughly treat the dentition and protect the health of the smile as a whole. Beyond periodontal disease, other reasons for extraction can include misalignment, dental fracture, and root canal failure.

Extraction is also recommended for patients suffering from impacted wisdom teeth. As most people don’t have enough room in their mouths for wisdom teeth, when teeth emerge their arches cannot accommodate the extra teeth. As a result, the molars become impacted (stuck) within the bone or gum tissue and can cause serious oral health issues.

Ridge and Sinus Augmentation

These are procedures are designed to restore structural integrity to the jaws. The ridge in your mouth refers to the area where teeth come out of the gums. This needs repair after having a tooth extracted, otherwise the jaw may appear uneven and will not be ready for future jaw bone surgeries.

Sinus augmentation is a procedure that improves the structure of the upper jaws. Your oral surgeon will make an incision and place bone grafting tissue to fill the space between the jaw bone and sinus membrane, creating a barrier that can accommodate eventual dental implant placement.

Learn More Today at Lorton Springfield Dental Implants & Oral Surgery

Northern Virginia oral surgeon Dr. Snehal Patel is dedicated to providing all patients with the advanced oral surgeries needed to achieve a healthy, beautiful smile. If you are looking for an oral surgeon in Lorton or Springfield, contact Dr. Patel to schedule your consultation. Our locations in Lorton and Springfield make receiving oral surgery a comfortable, convenient experience. 

Mini Dental Implants

Mini Dental Implants

Traditional implants are used to replace missing spaces in your smile and can be used to support prosthetics such as dentures and bridges. However, in some instances traditional dental implants may not be the most cost-effective treatment options. In cases where bone structure is too weak to support new implant placement, many patients have turned to mini dental implants.

What are Mini Dental Implants?

Similar to traditional implants, mini dental implants (MDIs) use medical grade titanium alloy to support restorations. Uniquely, MDIs use an o-ball shaped head rather than abutments to support the future restoration.

Like their name suggests, mini dental implants are smaller in diameter than traditional implants, making them ideal for placement specifically in vertical bone. Given their smaller size, MDIs are less likely to interfere with other anatomical structures within your mouth.

Why Consider Mini Dental Implants

Mini dental implants are often considered a cost effective alternative to replace missing spaces in your smile. As the placement procedure is less invasive than traditional implants, MDIs often require less healing time. In some cases, healthy patients may be eligible to have their implants placed and covered with a prosthetic tooth in one day, minimizing risk to the patient and the number of visits.  

Other benefits include:

-          Stabilized restorations – for patients who feel as those their dentures are loose or ill fitting, utilizing mini dental implant to secure their prosthetic is a great way to restore functionality to their smile.

-          Support facial structures – like traditional implants, mini dental implants fully integrate with the bone in your jaw and support it, supporting existing structures of your face.

Drawbacks of Mini Dental Implants

While mini dental implants may offer a number of advantages, there are some disadvantages which may make them less than ideal for certain individuals. In particular, patients with severe bone deterioration may find that implants do not provide sufficient support for the eventual restorations. 

Additionally, if the posts are incorrectly placed within the bone, patients may not enjoy optimal recovery success, putting them at risk of developing peri-implantitis as well as overall implant failure. Lastly, lack of clinical experimentation has led many dentists to have reservations concerning the long-term use of mini dental implants in cases where regular dental implants would suffice.

Contact Our Northern Virginia Oral Surgeon Today and Learn More

For more information about dental implants and implant-supported restorations, visit Dr. Snehal Patel and his team today to discuss your implant options. We can help you find a solution that best supports your ongoing tooth replacement needs and helps you enjoy a fully restored smile.

Dental Implant vs. Dental Bridges

Spaces in your smile can seriously impact patients’ self-confidence. To help complete smiles, dental implants and bridges are often recommended options for restoring missing teeth. As each procedure has its own advantages and drawbacks, it is important for patients to be fully informed before choosing the best restoration for their smile.

Dental Implants

Made up of three components, dental implants are considered the ideal solution for replacing missing teeth. During this treatment, titanium implant posts are surgically inserted into jaw bone. Over the course of recovery, these biocompatible components fuse with the rest of the bone tissue to create a solid foundation for the final porcelain restoration. As implants are precisely designed to replicate the shape and function of tooth roots, this alternative treatment prevents jaw bone resorption.

While implants tend to have larger up-front costs than traditional dentures or bridges, dental implants and implant-supported restorations are often considered long-term investments given their longevity. Whereas traditional restorations must be replaced or expanded frequently to maintain functionality, implants are permanent and can prevent additional problems from damaging the smile. Additionally, multiple implants can be used to support larger restorations like bridges and dentures.

Dental Bridges

Often the go-to treatment for tooth loss, dental bridges come in three varieties: the traditional bridges, which use a crown for each tooth on either side of the gap; Cantilever bridges, which are secured to adjacent teeth at one side of the gap; and Maryland bonded bridges or resin bonded, on which plastic teeth and gums secured to a metal frame work is bonded to existing teeth.

While bridges take less time to create and place than dental implants, this traditional restoration is only a temporary solution to tooth loss. As neighboring teeth must be filed or altered to support dental bridges, this procedure can unnecessarily damage otherwise healthy teeth, leaving them vulnerable to infection and accelerating deterioration. With this in mind, many patients with dental bridges find themselves facing frequent retreatment as well as more extensive restoration needs. Over time, these costs can quickly add up, making bridges a more expensive treatment in the long-term.

At our Lorton and Springfield dental practices, Dr. Snehal Patel is here to help you find the right solution for your smile. Whether you’re looking to replace one tooth or an entire arch with implants and implant-supported dentures or bridges, Lorton-Springfield Dental Implants & Oral Surgery offers comprehensive treatments tailored to your smile. To learn more, contact our nearest location today.