Facing Tooth Loss
Sometimes tooth loss happens despite our best efforts at preventive dental care. If you face a tooth extraction in Cumming because of oral injury, advanced gum disease or decay and abscess, don’t despair. Your skilled professionals at Dentistry at Hickory Flat can take care of that extraction comfortably and quickly and then replace the tooth with a state-of-the-art dental implant in Cumming.
Getting a Tooth Pulled
This sometime unavoidable procedure will eliminate your toothache, clear your infection and get you on the path to better dental health. Drs. Brian and Katherine Lee of Dentistry at Hickory Flat perform dental extractions in their Cumming office and offer patients sedation options to make their experience as comfortable as possible.
In addition to a pain shot, or local anesthetic, to numb the area, Dr. Lee can administer an oral sedative, or tranquilizer, to relax you before the procedure even begins. Taken in pill form, the sedative may be Valium, Ativan or other familiar tranquilizer, and it simply makes you feel relaxed and drowsy.
Then, the doctor can proceed with the extraction. Most of these procedures are straightforward and require a few stitches to close the site. Over the counter pain medication takes care of post-procedure discomfort, and the doctor will ask you to eat a soft diet and refrain from brushing for a day.
Tooth Replacement
If you have sufficient jaw bone density and are in good oral and overall health, you may be a candidate for a dental implant. Both Dr. Brian Lee and Dr. Katherine Lee are Fellows of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. As such, they are experts in placing dental implants and can fully explain the procedure to you.
If you are a candidate for a dental implant, you will undergo another short oral surgery into place the titanium implant device in the jaw. This involves incising the gums and drilling a small pilot hole in the bone. Then, Dr. Lee inserts the device into the jaw.
After some weeks of healing, you return to Dentistry at Hickory Flats and receive a metal extension post and customized porcelain crown. The long period of healing is important so the implant melds completely with the jaw through a natural process called osseointegration. Osseointegration is truly the secret behind the success of dental implants as the implant actually encourages bone density and strength. No other tooth replacement option is as stable, predictable and similar to a natural tooth as the dental implant.
Dental implants are more than 95 percent successful and stay in place for decades with good at-home and in-office dental hygiene. Implants may support bridgework and full fixed or removable dentures, too.
Don’t Be Afraid
If your tooth cannot be saved, let the gentle and competent dentists at Dentistry at Hickory Flats extract it and replace it with the best prosthetic available. Contact the office today to arrange your restorative dentistry consultation.