Using Dental Implants to Treat Periodontal Disease

While easily prevented, gum disease can leave a lasting negative impact on the rest of your smile. In more advanced cases, periodontitis can cause teeth loss, compromising the long-term function, aesthetics, and health of the dentition.

For patients suffering from advanced gum disease, treatment and restoration go hand in hand. In Northern Virginia, Lorton-Springfield oral surgeon Dr. Snehal Patel offers dental implants as a long-term restorative solution for people who have lost one or more teeth to gum disease. By coordinating treatment and restoration care closely with your general dentist and periodontist, our oral surgeon in Springfield helps patients reverse the damage caused by advanced periodontitis and restore function to their smile.

Why Consider Dental Implants after Gum Disease

Treating advanced gum disease requires a multi-faceted approach. In cases where infection has caused tooth loss or bone deterioration, treating and removing infected tissue is just one part of the solution. While some may opt for traditional tooth replacement, dentures and bridges do not fully address bone loss, opening to door for further dental issues in the future.

Dental implants are purposely designed to functionally mimic natural teeth and interact with bone tissue just like natural teeth roots. As a result, implants stimulate bone regrowth, preventing further tissue resorption and protecting the overall structure of the jaw. Since most patients with weakened jaw bones often require bone grafting prior to implant placement, this oral surgery further reinforces the jaw bone and helps improve overall oral health.

Above the gums, dental implants serve as a sterile tooth replacement, protecting dental alignment and restoring missing teeth without compromising neighboring healthy teeth. While patients recovering from gum disease do have a higher risk of implant failure, comprehensive gum disease therapy before implant placement and vigilant oral hygiene following implant treatment can enhance the longevity of your new restoration.

Dental Implants in Lorton and Springfield

During your implant treatment, our goal is to ensure long-lasting, predictable results. By relying on the latest dental technology and coordinating treatment with your dentist, our oral surgeon is able to provide patients with comprehensive care. For more information about dental implants following gum disease treatment, call or visit Dr. Patel 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. 

Preventive Dental Care: Jaw Health

While often overlooked, the jaw is a critical part of the smile. From supporting the teeth to facilitating all oral function, the upper and lower jaw play an important role in maintaining a smile’s health and function. If compromised, patients can quickly find their standard of life diminished and may require extensive treatments in order to restore health and strength to the bone. With this in mind, being aware of the conditions that can compromise the health of your jaw and knowing how to protect bone health from the future bone issues can ensure uninterrupted oral function.

Common Dental-Related Causes of Jaw Bone Deterioration:

Periodontal Disease: If left untreated, the bacteria that cause gum disease are able to travel below the gum line and begin attacking the underlying jaw bone structure. As bone strength weakens, the stability of the dentition also becomes diminished, leading to potential tooth loss.

To reinforce the strength of the bone, patients may require bone grafting. During this oral surgery procedure, donor bone tissue is added to the weakened area. Over the course of recovery, this donor tissue begins to integrate with the natural bone, resulting in strengthened bone and improved dental stability.

Non-Implant Restorations: Similar to how bone loss can cause tooth loss, tooth loss can trigger bone deterioration. Teeth roots act like anchors for the bone, providing growth stimulation for the bone. Once a tooth is loss, the bone surrounding the lost tooth begins to deteriorate as a result of the loss of stimulation. This process of resorption is particularly common for patients with tradition, non-implant restorations such as bridges, partials, and full dentures.

To help prevent these issues from compromising jaw health and strength, consider opting for permanent dental implants or implant-supported restorations. In Lorton and Springfield, Dr. Snehal Patel and his team offer comprehensive implant options and work closely with patients to develop the right implant solution for their smile.

Misalignment: In addition to impacting the ability to bite properly, tooth misalignment can have a domino-like impact on the jaw, leading to bruxism and accelerated teeth damage. In cases of severe malocclusion, misalignment can trigger problems for the temporomandibular joint, or TMJ. If left unaddressed, patients can find themselves suffering from serious difficulties in performing basic oral functions, such as chewing, swallowing, and breathing.

Treating misalignment is a multi-faceted process that can include orthodontics, retainers, and surgical processes in order to correct the position of teeth and jaw. At Lorton-Springfield Dental Implants & OralSurgery, our team works closely with local dental specialists to develop a comprehensive treatment solution for patients suffering from malocclusion.

Teeth Abscesses: Abscesses are the consequence of untreated tooth infections. Caused when bacteria enter the inner pulp chamber, failure to treat this condition provide bacteria with the opportunity to travel to the base of the root and begin creating a cyst in the jaw bone. As the abscess grows, the bone is further damaged. Treatment for this condition requires that the cyst be removed and the bone be sterilized, with any infected tissue removed. To reinforce the bone following treatment, available treatments include bone grafting and ridge modification or augmentation.

Protect Your Jaw Health Today

A healthy jaw bone is the foundation of a healthy smile. At our Lorton and Springfield specialty oral surgery practices, Dr. Patel can help you maintain a healthy smile through specialized bone treatments. Contact our team today.