Dental Implant Surgery
Walnut Creek, CA
With precise planning, skill, and our in office technology, the surgical procedure for placing your dental implant is easier than you can imagine. Following the Dental Implant Procedure most patients resume their regular tasks within one to two days. Our prosthodontists, at the Dental Implant Center at Walnut Creek, Dr. Keith and Dr. Gibbs, are happy to schedule a consultation. We believe that you will be surprised and that the impact will be huge. What Is the Implant Placement Process?
Before we can place your tooth implant, you need to have an evaluation. During your evaluation we will determine your physical health, which may or may not effect the procedure, the status of your soft tissue inside your mouth, and the levels of bone available for placement.
Some factors that we take special action with include if the patient smokes and if the patient has diabetes. Both of these attributes can decrease the rate of healing, which can be problematic for successful implantation. In addition, if we are replacing a tooth that has been missing for a significant time, there will be some level of bone loss or atrophy. A common procedure performed prior to implantation is a bone graft.
Bone Graft
A bone graft sounds more serious than it is. Bone grafts are an often normal part of receiving a dental implant. A very simple procedure, bone grafts are done in office and are routine. When your bone ridge is insufficient for the tooth implant, in preparation for surgery we open the tissue and are able to place bone material from one of multiple different sources.
| • | We can place a synthetic powder that stimulates bone growth. |
| • | We can place processed bone from outside sources. |
Over the next several months your body will regrow the necessary bone by depositing new bone cells. Once sufficient bone is available, we can proceed. Read more about Bone Grafting
Sinus Lift
Along with a bone graft, a sinus lift is a surgical procedure that adds bone to your upper jaw. It is also sometimes referred to as a sinus augmentation. During this procedure, we will add bone between your jaw and the maxillary sinuses, which are located on either side of your nose. Part of this procedure is to lift the sinus membrane upward, giving it its name, this is to make room for the bone that is being added. Read more about Sinus Lift
Tooth Extraction
Another aspect of your evaluation process will be determining the health and status of your teeth and deciding if extraction is necessary. For some patients, it may be necessary to remove some surrounding unhealthy teeth, or maybe even all of the patient's teeth if performing the All-on-4® Treatment Concept. Any necessary extractions will be performed before your implant surgery in preparation. Read more about Tooth Extraction
Socket Preservation
Tooth extraction is one of the most common dental procedures. Healing of the resulting extraction socket normally occurs uneventfully. The key to minimizing bone loss is a careful technique using gentle instrumentation and socket preservation. Socket preservation is an adjunctive procedure where the tooth socket is filled with a specially bio-engineered graft and collagen plug system. Read more about Socket Preservation
We are happy to discuss all of the necessary preparation for implant surgery with you at the time of evaluation. Contact our office in Walnut Creek, CA at (925) 266-3550. Our prosthodontists, Dr. Keith and Dr. Gibbs are here to answer your questions.
