Sometimes A Tooth Can’t Be Saved – When you are a child, losing a tooth can be extremely exciting. Following the loss, the child may receive a visit from the “tooth fairy”, which evokes feelings of becoming a bigger kid, and of course the “cool” feeling of being able to hold one of your teeth and examine it. As an adult, the luster fades. Before losing a tooth, which will not be replaced naturally, adults may experience immense pain and suffering.
Additionally, bones need to be stimulated or they will deteriorate. If you are avoiding a spot in your mouth to chew with, then you could experience bone loss. Even more serious conditions can occur due to decaying teeth. If bacteria enter the bloodstream, internal organs may be affected in devastating ways. Poor oral health can lead to cancers, heart disease, and diabetic complications, among other maladies. The joy of losing a tooth as a child gives way to possible nightmarish scenarios when a tooth is decaying and lost as an adult.
There are only so many procedures that can be done to save a tooth. At some point, it needs to be extracted. Not all is lost, however, in this day and age. A dental implant, when properly placed, can transport a patient back to days of stellar oral health. The implant acts as a synthetic tooth root, and is anchored by being endosseous, or contained within the jawbone. This is a relatively simple outpatient surgical procedure. Once the site heals, a prosthetic abutment is attached, followed by a synthetic crown.
Voila! Your chewing function may return to levels not seen in years. An implant looks like a tiny screw, and patients are numbed when the implant is inserted. Dr. Frank Grosso and Dr. Katie Grosso have placed hundreds of dental implants at Grosso Family Dentistry. There is a lot of care taken to consult and discuss dental implant options. The Grossos’ want to establish your goals, and walk you through the process, explaining every step. Their offices are also a relaxing environment, which takes a lot of the stress away from the patient.
By utilizing a dental implant, one can regain the stimulation necessary to strengthen the bone. And here’s the best part- you’ll be able to eat steak again! Think of not only the great foods that you had to pass up when your teeth were decaying but the lack of nutrition in some cases. A lot of fruits and vegetables are tough to eat if you have painful or dying teeth. There are many protheses that are available if you do receive a dental implant. Another benefit of dental implants is that you can receive a fixed prosthesis.
This way you don’t have to remove and clean, like a removable denture. Full arch dental implants are something that is also utilized these days. If it is a favorable solution to extract the remaining teeth from either the mandible (lower jawbone) or maxilla (upper jawbone), a full arch would be an option. This is where four or five implants are strategically placed, based on available bone and strength of bone, in addition to other factors. Once the surgical sites heal, a full set of synthetic “teeth” are permanently attached to the implants. In many circumstances, this has been life-changing. In a good way.
At Grosso Family Dentistry we know that sometimes you may want to keep a tooth at all costs. Or you may be leery of surgery, no matter how minor or quick. You should, however, keep your options open and discuss with us avenues to get you to better oral health, less or no pain, and back to enjoying great foods while improving nutrition.