We Can Prepare You for Implants
SmileCreator of Bingham Farms highly recommends dental implants as a permanent solution to missing teeth. Dental implants can dramatically improve your life—not only restoring your smile to full function but also protecting the integrity of your smile through jawbone stimulation. Dental implants require more time to be placed, but they’re well worth the wait. They’re permanent, protect your oral health, and preserve your facial structure.
Dr. Kosinski wants all of our patients to have the opportunity to experience all the benefits of dental implants. However, if you have recessed gums, or lack the bone structure to support the implants, it can complicate the process. We may recommend a supplemental procedure to prepare you for your dental implant and increase the chances of a successful implant.
Learn about the ways Dr. Kosinski can help prepare you for dental implants.
How Supplemental Procedures Help
A supplemental procedure is used to prepare the teeth, gums, and jawbone for implant placement to ensure quality results. Patients who suffer from tooth loss, gum disease, or have worn dentures long-term typically don’t have enough jawbone density to support an implant — making them an ideal candidate for a supplemental procedure.
How Bone Deterioration Affects You
When you’re missing teeth, you notice the most obvious effects: gaps in your smile, difficulty speaking, and difficulty chewing. But there are more effects of tooth loss that aren’t immediately noticeable, including jawbone deterioration.
Many people don’t realize that their jawbone, like a muscle, needs to be stimulated to remain strong. The roots of your teeth stimulate your jawbone to maintain density and when you lose a tooth, you no longer have that stimulation. Without constant stimulation, the jaw bone can deteriorate. Though dentures are a common arch replacement solution, dental implants are the only tooth replacement option that keeps your jawbone from weakening.
Bone Grafting: Restoring Your Jawbone
Bone grafts can increase your chances of dental implant success, making your jawbone stronger. Dental implants stay anchored to your jaw through a process called osseointegration, where your jawbone fuses to an implant.
A substantial amount of strong jawbone material is required to keep the implant in place. To fortify your jawbone, Dr. Kosinski will take a piece of bone from you, a donor, or synthetic source, and graft it to your jaw. The graft stimulates your jawbone, encouraging healing and promoting bone growth.
Solutions to Gum Recession
When you’re missing teeth, your gums may recede. Take Amy, a 48-year-old female patient with four missing teeth in her lower jaw. Amy initially chose a bridge to restore her teeth because it was the easiest option for her at the time, but now she’s interested in a more permanent solution.
Though her bridge allowed her to eat and smile, over the years she lost a lot of gum tissue beneath her bridge. When your gums recede, the sensitive areas of your teeth are exposed. This can lead to pain and sensitivity as well as an increased risk of infection and tooth decay.
Dr. Kosinski recommends tissue grafts for patients like Amy because they can restore and strengthen gum tissue.
What To Expect During a Tissue Graft
During a tissue graft procedure, Dr. Kosinski will harvest a small amount of soft tissue from another part of your mouth. The graft material is then placed in the areas that need it, preserving the necessary soft tissue and making your gums less likely to recede.
This procedure can be done before your dental implant is placed or during the same procedure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn More at Your Free Consultation
Not every dental implant patient needs a supplemental procedure, but there’s nothing to fear if you do. Dr. Kosinski will ensure your treatment goes smoothly—you can even find out what your treatment plan will look like, no commitment necessary. Schedule your free consultation with Dr. Kosinski by calling 248-646-8651 or by filling out our online contact form — available on this page. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have.