Beautiful Teeth for Better Smiles

A beautiful smile can melt many people's hearts and open a lot of social opportunities. Likewise, a tight-lipped smirk can turn off people and get you nowhere. However, what makes for a pretty smile and why would some people rather hide their teeth with a sneer?

Most people do want to give their best smile, but there are times when they just couldn't because they're afraid to show their pearly whites. Oftentimes, it's a simple matter of missing teeth. People with complete set of white teeth usually want to show them off with their smiles, and the opposite is true for those with damaged or missing teeth—a smile may be too much of an effort.

Fortunately, these days a missing tooth (or even several teeth) is a problem that's easily solved with dental implants. An oral surgeon is the one that can provide you with this solution to your reluctance to give that elusive smile. With dental implants, you can have natural looking teeth back with hardly anyone noticing the difference.

Dental implants provide the appearance and comfort of natural teeth including improved speech. Have you heard or seen anybody talk with several teeth missing? It can certainly sound and look a bit awkward. Most importantly, dental implants restore your self esteem. Hence, if you're missing any tooth, don't lose any time getting in touch with your dentist, as dental implants can give your confidence that much needed boost.

How an Oral Surgeon Performs Bone Grafting

Denver offers a diverse culinary cuisine that also consists of staples like the Denver omelet and many fast-casual food concepts. However, you won't likely be able to enjoy much of the unique cuisine the city offers if you suffer from tooth loss and refuse to have dentures fitted because you believe they're unnatural and bothersome. Fortunately, a better alternative exists; a dental implant procedure will allow you to eat a variety of cuisine without the annoying hassles of dentures.

Not everyone is a good candidate for this procedure, however, as it requires a bone structure that is strong enough to hold the titanium posts that serve as the anchor for the replacement teeth. If the bones are weak or there is inadequate bone structure, there may be a need for the oral surgeon to perform bone grafting. This is a procedure similar to skin grafting, which is usually performed as part of cosmetic surgeries for burn victims.

Under the bone grafting procedure, a bone is obtained from your jaw, hip, or leg (although in some cases, the bone can also be taken from a tissue bank) and then transferred to where the dental implants are to be placed. Bone grafting is a complex procedure that requires the skills and training of an experienced oral surgeon and the sterile environment of an operating room. Afterwards, the patient will be required to stay in the hospital to give him enough time to recuperate. 

The Many Advantages of Dental Implants

A dental implant is acknowledged by most dentists to be the most effective tooth replacement process. As dental implants are attached securely and permanently into the jawbone, they have many significant advantages over other artificial tooth replacements, such as dentures and bridges.

In a dental implant process, a metal implant or post, typically made of titanium, is surgically inserted into the jawbone. The tissues around the jawbone are then expected to osseointegrate, or to bond with the implant. After the osseointegration period, an artificial crown is securely attached to an abutment from the metal post. The artificial crown and the implant then serves to function in the same manner as a real tooth's crown and root.

The permanent nature of dental implants greatly minimizes the risk of the crown falling off, which can frequently happen with dentures and bridges. This can give a dental implant user more confidence not only in eating and chewing food, but in common everyday actions, such as laughing or being physically active. Additionally, because dental implants are securely attached to the person's jawbone, the user's oral digestive functions are fully restored.

Unlike dentures and bridges, dental implants do not need the support of gums in chewing food. Prolonged use of dentures has been known to result to gum diseases because of the pressure exerted on the gum by the dentures. Hence, dental implants also serve to protect the gums and keep them healthy. 

Take It Off – Why Wisdom Teeth Have To Go

Wisdom teeth are usually those on the far end of any set of adult teeth; these are often the last to be developed. In older times, these were often removed as some sort of rite of passage for students going off to college. However, modern dental practices do warrant taking them out for various reasons.

As wisdom teeth will usually be the last teeth to be developed, there is a chance that overall growth will be stunted by the time a person reaches early adulthood. The result of this is the teeth partially erupting through the gums, bringing with it potential dangers of infection because a flap of gum still covers most of the tooth when they should be holding the lower roots instead. Some general dental practitioners may warn that keeping the wisdom teeth on raises the danger of cavities or gum disease, plus hamper any orthodontic treatments you may have in the future.

The adjacent teeth can be damaged if the wisdom teeth have grown at certain angles. These may be either growing towards the mouth, horizontally, or growing vertically but is impeded by the adjacent tooth. If left untended, they can trigger caries and endanger teeth.

Wisdom teeth should be extracted as circumstances warrant. The cost of not doing so may be worse. 

Where to Source Funds for Dental Implants

There is no question that dental implants are a necessity if having them would boost a person’s self confidence, enhance oral health, or improve one’s ability to speak or eat. Upon implantation, these artificial tooth roots act like the natural pearly whites that a patient lost; a feature or benefit that makes implants more preferable to dentures. Having a natural smile, though, can be costly.

Where to get the funds for this surgery? There is the zero-interest credit card, of course, which could be used for the sole purpose of financing the dental implant. Within a year or so, if the typical terms apply, the cost of implant will be covered. Timely payment is vital in this scheme.

Better yet (if you have an unquestionable credit score), secure a credit card that banks issue for dental and medical emergencies only. Payments for this plastic can be spread over a period of between three and 48 months so it will not be financially burdensome for the client.

The third source of funding for dental implants could come from the teeth doctor himself. Dental practitioners are usually aware of reputable financial institutions that agree to cover procedures that would improve health (this time, oral health). It would not hurt to ask the professional if he can put you on an easy payment scheme, if all potential fund sources fall through.

Oral Surgery May Resolve Obstructive Sleep Apnea Condition

Sleep apnea, a disorder that plagues millions of Americans that is usually dismissed as nothing more than a nuisance, should be taken less lightly because it has real and significant consequences. The condition obstructs an individual from normal breathing, preventing him from inhaling and exhaling breath for a period of 10 seconds or longer. In a regular sleep, a person suffering from the condition may experience this for hundreds of times.

Several signs of sleep apnea include loud snoring, brief pauses in breathing, and gasping. As the breathing process is obstructed, oxygen levels in the blood drop and the person is interrupted from his sleep to resume breathing. Not getting a good night's sleep alone poses several problems to a person's well being which includes getting morning headaches, sleepiness in the morning, irritability, memory and learning problems, and poor concentration.

People who suffer from this problem should consult their physicians. Sometimes, they are advised to wear a CPAP mask. More serious cases, however, may require laser-assisted oral surgery. Oral surgeons will perform the procedure if an analysis of a person's x-ray reveals that the level of obstruction posed by a patient's facial feature may require clearing.

Sometimes, it is the shape and position of jawbones that needs correction. This is a more complex case that requires general anesthesia and may require at least 2 full days of hospital rest.

Common Types of Oral Surgery

Surgery is needed when an infection or a disease of the oral cavity has gone past the scope of basic medications. The procedure may involve teeth extraction, jawbone restructuring, and implantation. In some cases, oral surgery is performed for cosmetic purposes. Here are three of the most common types of oral surgery.

Extraction of Impacted Teeth

Most dental extraction procedures involve the wisdom teeth. Often, wisdom teeth grow misaligned and become impacted in the process. Teeth with this condition must be removed to prevent the area from swelling and experiencing severe irritation. Extraction allows the surrounding teeth to grow freely, and thus stops the pain and inflammation.

Implantation

Dental implants are used when replacing a missing tooth but the results are more permanent and closer to the qualities of a real tooth. Sometimes, the jawbone structure isn't fit to be implanted, forcing dental specialists to either trim the jawbone or add metal plates where the implant can attached. This requires an oral surgery since the modifications may invade the gum and bone structure within the oral cavity.

Root Canal

Cavities are a precursor to gum infection, especially if left unattended. When the infection spreads, the dentist has to deal with both the decaying tooth and the infected gum and bone tissues through a procedure called root canal treatment. This procedure is performed when there's a significant amount of tissues between the bone and the tooth infected.