Teeth straightening is a great way to get the smile you have always wanted, yet the process is not always fast. Nowadays, there are better ways to straighten the teeth.
An estimated 120 million American adults are missing at least one tooth. And millions more have periodontitis or tooth decay that’s putting the health of their teeth, mouth, and jaw at risk.
If you have severely decayed or weakened teeth, extraction might be your best option. Having a tooth pulled can prevent damage from spreading to other teeth, but the procedure leaves a hole in your smile.
Beatriz Parra, DDS, and our dentistry team at Millennium Dental in Redwood City, California, offer the best in dental procedures, including tooth extraction. When a tooth needs to be removed, we can protect and improve your overall oral health with the help of a bone grafting procedure.
Find out why bone grafting is a great asset to improving your mouth’s health and function when you need a tooth pulled.
Your teeth and jawbone work together to help you chew and talk. Whether you have one or more missing teeth or you need to get a tooth extracted, the gap that remains can impact your jaw’s strength and mouth function.
Your jawbone needs stimulation from teeth to grow and stay healthy. When a tooth is gone, the bone begins to disappear as well. Bone loss can spread and make other teeth get loose inside your mouth. Over time, your facial features can sag, and your overall oral health suffers.
Bone grafting is a surgical procedure to prevent bone loss when you have a tooth pulled. Dr. Parra takes a small amount of bone from elsewhere in your jaw or your body, and fills in the space where the tooth was removed.
Artificial grafting material may be used instead of natural bone. This material works by attracting bone cells to the area, and new bone begins to grow.
When your jawbone is strong, you can maintain the health of your remaining teeth. Bone grafting is an essential step of restorative dental procedures, including dental implants. If you have a tooth removed and you have a bone graft, you have the option to get a dental implant to fill the gap and restore your smile.
Tooth extractions are simple procedures that take just a few minutes in the office. Our team prepares your mouth for the extraction by making a series of numbing injections around the tooth to be removed.
Once your mouth is numb, Dr. Parra gently pulls the tooth out with forceps. She often places a piece of gauze in the socket to stop bleeding. If you get a bone graft, this procedure comes immediately after the extraction.
Dr. Parra prepares the grafting material and places it around your jawbone. She may use stitches to close your gums, and you can expect to leave the office shortly after the procedure is complete.
As your mouth heals, your jawbone naturally grows where the bone graft was done. You may experience some pain in the first few days after bone grafting, but symptoms are generally managed with over-the-counter pain relievers.
The procedure improves bone volume and density to preserve and even improve your oral health. Talk to Dr. Parra if you’re interested in getting an implant to replace the tooth that was extracted. She can make a recommendation for you based on your jaw strength, oral health, and other factors.
For tooth extractions and comprehensive oral care, visit Dr. Parra and our team at Millennium Dental. Book an appointment online or call us at 650-204-3548 today. You can also send a message to the team here on our website.
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