Like any other surgery, oral surgery does carry some risks, and shouldn’t be taken lightly. We will keep your health in mind, and only recommend oral surgery when we truly believe it’s necessary. And with expert care from Dr. Feldman and the team at Gainesville Dentistry Co., you’ll be in good hands.
Also, oral surgery is an outpatient procedure. That means that you can go home right after your treatment, and recover in the comfort of your own home. Unlike some other surgeries, there’s no need to spend any time in a hospital.
Bone grafting is performed at the time of tooth extraction to preserve the alveolar ridge in preparation for a future dental implant. The moment a tooth is removed from the bone, that supporting hard tissue begins to resorb. The only function of that bone is to hold a tooth or dental implant in place. Bone graft material acts as a scaffold for your own bone to grow into and eventually replace. This allows the ridge to heal while maintaining the height and width of bone necessary to house a future implant. This step of the implant process is critical, as a stable and healthy implant requires a sufficient amount of stable and healthy bone all around it for long-term success.
The process of a ridge preservation (bone grafting at the time of extraction) is quite simple. Once the tooth is removed and all areas of potential infection are curetted, a synthetic bone graft material will be placed in the socket and secured with sutures. The patient will be placed on a regimen of antibiotics for one week after the procedure. A period of 3-4 months of healing will be needed prior to implant placement in this site.
Alveoloplasty is also called “bone ridge smoothing.” When you get multiple teeth extracted in preparation for a removable denture, sharp ridges of bone between the sockets may be present. These ridges may need to be smoothed down to ensure a proper fit of the prostheses and avoid pressure spots.
During an alveoloplasty, Dr. Feldman will open up the gums, then use special tools to remove these bone ridges and smooth down the jaw bone. Depending on the situation, this procedure may be done on its own, or as part of the tooth extraction process.
Dental implants are an extremely effective way to restore missing teeth and are often the best solution to preserve as much of the surrounding teeth as possible. They consist of a titanium “post” that’s shaped like a screw. This post is surgically implanted into your jaw bone. Over time, the implant osseointegrates with the bone, creating a stable foundation for which an implant crown can be placed. This implant crown restores the form and function of your missing tooth or teeth, allowing you to chew freely and smile confidently.
Dr. Feldman implements a fully guided solution for safe and precise implant placement. A cone beam CT scan and an intraoral scan will be used to fabricate a surgical guide that allows the implant to be placed using restoratively driven principles. Throughout the process, our team has the end result in mind, which allows us to plan your implant surgery knowing how we want the crown to look and function once completed. Dr. Feldman is a Fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists and has completed extensive implant training.
Pain and discomfort usually peak after a couple of days, then starts to fade. Most patients feel much better after a week, but it usually takes about two weeks to feel completely normal.
However, that doesn’t mean the recovery process is over. Even after your mouth feels normal, it will still need time to heal. For example, bone grafting takes 3-4 months before an implant can be placed, and it takes 8-12 weeks for dental implants to heal with the jaw bone to the point where they can be restored.
To simplify the recovery process, make sure you follow all of Dr. Feldman’s recovery instructions and come into Gainesville Dentistry Co. as scheduled for all of your follow-up appointments.
