Tuesday 22 November 2016

Gum Disease and Bone Loss

Periodontitis or gum disease is an infection that damages your gums and destroys the bones supporting the teeth. It is one of the causes of tooth loss, but it can lead to an increased risk of serious health problems and conditions, too—including strokes and heart attacks. Although common, gum disease is highly preventable and can be treated before it is too late. It is a silent condition with virtually no symptoms until a dentist sees and inspects your mouth, so be sure to make regular dental appointments for proper diagnosis and treatment. Regular dental visits can help you avoid gum disease and bone loss.

You also need to make a daily effort to prevent gum disease in the first place. The best way to do this is by brushing at least two times a day and flossing once daily. Cosmetic dentists in Reston VA diagnose gum disease by examining your gums and looking for signs of swollen, purplish, or bright red areas. You might also have gum disease if your gums feel tender when touched or when they start pulling away or receding from your teeth. Other symptoms of gum disease include bad breath, loose teeth, pus forming between your gums and teeth, a bad taste in the mouth, and a change in your bite.

Bone loss is the result of severe and untreated gum disease. Digital imaging may be used to assess the condition of your facial tissues and bones, and the dentist may provide treatment to clear the bacterial infection causing gingivitis and plaque.

Healthy gums are pale pink and firm, so if you see that they have become red, puffy, or they start to bleed easily, then make an appointment with the dentist in Reston VA as soon as you can. The sooner you make that appointment and get checked up, the better your chances of minimizing the damage caused by gum disease. The dentist can provide the right treatment to reduce your chances of losing your teeth due to this condition.

CBCT Scan for Diagnosis Of Dental Implants

CT scanners have been around for decades, but certain types are designed to be more advanced and effective in generating highly detailed images for precise diagnosis and treatment. The CBCT scanner is one of the more advanced CT scanning technologies. A dentist may order a CBCT scan when a regular facial or dental x-ray is not enough for a proper diagnosis. CBCT can produce multiple 3D images of your soft tissues, bone, teeth, and nerve pathways in different angles with a single scan, making it faster and reliable for diagnosis of oral disorders and diseases such as TMJ disorders, jaw tumors, and bone loss around dental implants in Northern VA. Likewise, the scan is useful for treatment planning for surgery and if you are considering implants.

A CBCT scan can help the dentists in Reston, Virginia in accurately planning and placing dental implants. Moreover, the results can help in determining tooth orientation and bone structure. Implant planning requires proper evaluation of the jaw, your tissues, and the condition of your bones to make sure that they can handle the implants. High-end CBCT scanners come with a software specifically developed for implant planning. That way, dentists can easily see where the implant must be placed in the jaw and avoid hitting any nerves. Likewise, the images can let dentists see if there is enough bone for the implant to minimize your risk of complications for your dental implants in Chantilly VA.

CBCT scanners are also referred to as ‘dental cone beam’, and they have become the standard for assessing the bone quality for dental implant planning before surgery. Traditional dental x-rays may not provide accurate and clear images for determining the quality of the bone to be used for implant support. The scan has been helpful and deemed reliable so far in bone density measurements, which require precision and a highly stable system. The scan uses a more focused x-ray beam that minimizes scatter radiation. Hence, better and clearer images are generated.

Monday 14 November 2016

Benefits of Single Stage Teeth in a Day

Have you lost some of your teeth? You do not have to live without them for good. Simply go to a dentist in Reston Virginia and ask about dental implants. As long as you are a healthy individual, a Reston VA dentist can recommend dental implants like single stage teeth, which is one of the most common procedures for replacing missing teeth. Single stage dental implants are surgically placed into your jaw; the implant’s top is level in the gum tissue, which is then closed via sutures to leave the head of the implant visible. After healing, the temporary restoration and dental implant abutment will be attached to the head without additional minor surgery.

The best thing about single stage teeth is that the Reston VA dentist can place the dental implant at the same time as the healing cap. This means that you only have to go through one surgical procedure to restore your teeth. Moreover, it can be used in patients who are missing multiple teeth. The procedure should be successful as long as there is enough strong bone to hold the implant and the neighboring teeth and gums must be in good condition. If you lack bone, the dentist may conduct bone grafting or bone augmentation.

Before getting any dental implants, it is important to consult with a qualified Reston VA dentist for a full evaluation and to know your options. A seasoned dentist in Reston Virginia will use only high-quality implants for a single stage teeth procedure. Titanium is typically preferred because it is durable and stainless, and the abutment can be made of the same material or another like porcelain or gold. The crown or the restoration is typically made of porcelain, so it can fuse with PFM or a metal alloy and look more natural. Some dentists may suggest an all porcelain or all metal restoration.

Gum Grafting Treatment



Gum grafting or gingival graft refers to any surgical dental procedure that aims to graft gum tissue. The goal is to cover the exposed teeth root in case the gums have receded. In some cases, it is conducted as a cosmetic procedure to alter a band of tissue that has been keratinized. Gum grafting must be conducted only by a qualified and seasoned dentist that practices Reston cosmetic dentistry. A dentist may recommend gum grafting as part of emergency dental care in Reston VA if your gums have receded to the point that they will cause damage to your teeth.

Gum recession is more common than you think. In fact, it affects four to 12 percent of adults, and it typically remains unnoticed until it turns severe. Receding gums occur gradually, and over time, the exposed teeth can become sensitive or eventually fall out. One of the solution used in Reston cosmetic dentistry to repair the Gum grafting damage and avoid further oral problems.

Three different types of gum grafting methods can be conducted in an emergency dental care clinic in Reston VA:

  1. Connective tissue grafting – The procedure involves cutting a flap of your skin from the roof of your mouth, and the removal of tissue from under that flap to be stitched to the gum tissue around an exposed root. After removing the graft from under your palatal flap, the flap is sutured back down. This is the most common procedure used in gum grafting.
  2. Pedicle grafts – Tissue is taken from near the teeth or the gum that needs to be repaired. Hence, this method is only used in patients who still have a lot of gum near their affected teeth.
  3. Free gingival grafting – The process is similar to connective tissue grafting, but without making the flap and extracting tissue from the palate. Instead, a small amount of tissue will be removed directly from your palate before being attached to the receded gum area. This procedure is typically recommended for patients who have naturally thin gums but require additional tissue to enlarge them.

Some cosmetic dentists in Reston may consider using graft materials from tissue banks, or they rely on proteins to stimulate tissue growth before extracting it. Rest assured--the dentist will determine the best treatment method for you.