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Injuries to our teeth and gums can have harmful effects on the bone tissue and structures that support them. In turn, this damage can impact both the appearance and the health of our smiles. One of the ways we can protect our dental health and restore our smiles is with a technique called bone grafting, available at our Hoffman Estates, IL office.

What is Bone Grafting?

Bone grafting is a type of periodontal surgery. Bone tissue for grafting may be taken from your own body, or a graft material composed of donor tissue or synthetic substitutes can be used. This kind of graft will be absorbed gradually by the body as your own new, healthy bone tissue replaces it.

If you decide a bone graft is your best option, we will discuss the options for grafting with you beforehand, and use imaging to map out the area of bone loss and to create the best individual treatment plan for you. After anesthesia, an incision will be made in the gum tissue to reveal the damaged bone. Grafting material will be shaped and secured to the affected area, and sutures are generally used to close the incision. We will give you careful instructions for after care and follow-up visits. The time it takes for you to heal completely will depend on the type and size of the graft.

Why Consider a Bone Graft?

The bone structure that supports our teeth can be compromised in a number of ways. Dr. Dalessandro might recommend a bone graft as your best option for treating many conditions which have both medical and cosmetic impacts.

• Tooth Loss Can Cause Bone Loss

The bone tissue which supports our teeth needs the stimulation of biting and chewing to stay healthy. Without that stimulation, the bone area under the missing tooth gradually shrinks. The bone tissue is resorbed into the body, which, in a relatively short amount of time, can lead to a noticeable sunken spot where the tooth used to be. A dental implant will provide the tissue stimulation that a natural tooth would, and will prevent future bone loss in the jaw. But if too much bone tissue has already been lost, you might need surgical bone grafting to achieve the right bone area and density to hold an implant.

• Gum Disease

As gum disease progresses, the gums pull away from the teeth, leaving the bone and connective tissue exposed to infection and bacteria. Infection and the body’s own response to bacteria can cause deterioration in the bone structure supporting the teeth, leading to loose teeth, a change in your normal bite, or even tooth loss. Bone loss cannot be reversed, but a graft can replace lost bone and allow healthy tissue to regenerate.

• Other Uses

Bone grafting can also be used to correct deformities in the jawbone, as part of nerve repositioning, to restore bone after trauma or long-term denture wear, and for other restorative and cosmetic uses.

Dr. Dalessandro will recommend bone graft surgery when it will provide the best possible outcome for your individual needs. Because this is surgery, we are here to answer any questions you might have about the process and how we can provide the most skillful, gentlest, and least invasive treatment available. Above all, we want not only to protect your smile now, but to restore the strength and function of the bones which make it possible—for a lifetime of future smiles.

When we think about improving our smile, we generally focus on our teeth. Are they straight enough? White enough? Your orthodontist and dentist can provide suggestions for these issues if they concern you. But there is another essential part of our smiles which should not be neglected: our gums.

You might know that periodontal dentistry is your best option for treating gum disease. We are also trained and skilled in cosmetic procedures which can make a remarkable difference in your smile and even improve your periodontal health.

• Crown Lengthening & Gum Contouring

People sometimes worry that their teeth are too short, or their smiles are too “gummy.” Problems like this can actually be caused by too much gum tissue. We can carefully remove or reshape excess gum tissue, and bone tissue if needed, to reveal more of your teeth. This process is known as “crown lengthening.” We then contour the remaining gum tissue for an attractive gumline that works together with your teeth and lips for a beautifully proportioned smile.

• Gum Grafts

On the other hand, sometimes recessive gums can lead to too much of the tooth being exposed. A gum graft, where graft tissue is carefully positioned to restore the receding gum, can both improve the appearance of a smile and protect the exposed root area from damage or decay.

• Bone Grafts

When you lose a tooth, it is important to decide on a treatment plan early. The longer a tooth is missing, the more likely that the bone and tissue beneath it will start to recede. Without the necessary bone density and area, an implant cannot be performed. If gum disease has caused bone loss, it can endanger the health of the teeth nearby.  If you have lost bone due to a missing tooth, infection, trauma or gum disease, talk to us about bone grafting, to restore your bone now and prevent future bone loss.

• Dental Implants

Dental implants make your smile complete again, which is certainly an aesthetic improvement, but is also important for the health of your remaining teeth and jaw. We are trained not only to place the implant in the jaw, but to analyze bone health first for the most successful implant outcome.

You are already on your way to your best possible smile. And just as you’re committed to working with your regular dentist for checkups and cleaning, and working with your orthodontist if you see the need for alignment and bite improvements, there are some cosmetic areas where a periodontist is uniquely qualified to help. If you are concerned about the appearance or health of your gums and the bones beneath them, call our Hoffman Estates, IL office! Dr. Dalessandro can answer any questions you may have and provide suggestions for making sure your gums and the supporting structures around your teeth are not only their healthiest, but a beautiful addition to your best, most confident smile.

Congratulations! You’ve made the decision to replace a missing tooth with an implant. While an implant will restore the appearance of your smile, you also know that there are many reasons that an implant will improve your health, too.

A missing tooth causes structural problems as well as cosmetic ones. Remaining teeth can shift to fill the gap, leading to wear and bite problems. Without the stimulation of biting and chewing, bone tissue under the lost tooth gradually shrinks and is resorbed. The shapes of our jaws, cheeks and lips can be affected. Replacing a lost tooth with an implant can not only restore the appearance of your smile, but maintain it.

And implant procedures have a very high rate of success. Implants are made of materials compatible with the body, and surgically placed in the jaw to act as anchors for replacement teeth. The implant will actually integrate with the bone growing around it for strong, stable, and long-lasting support. After the time it takes for the implant to integrate and the area around it to heal, a crown, designed to match your own teeth perfectly, will be securely attached to the implant post.

What can you do to help the healing process? Follow our instructions carefully. Dr. Dalessandro will give you suggestions for the time immediately following the procedure as well as instructions on the importance of keeping the area clean while healing takes place. And one very important favor you can do yourself? If you smoke, this is the time to stop.

Studies have shown that smokers have a significantly increased risk of dental problems and implant failures, and there are several theories as to why.

• Smoking slows the healing process. Some studies indicate that smoking impairs blood flow in the gums, so that less oxygen and fewer nutrients are delivered to healing tissue.
• Smokers tend to be more vulnerable to gum disease.
• Smoking has been linked to a weaker immune system, so it’s harder to fight off an infection or to heal from one.
• More marginal bone loss around implants is seen in smokers than in non-smokers.
• Peri-implantitis, an inflammation of the gum tissue around the implant that can lead to bone loss and implant failure, is also more common in smokers.

Now that you have decided on a dental implant at our Hoffman Estates, IL office, make one more decision to ensure the success of the procedure. Talk to us about ways to quit smoking before your implant, and how to reduce the chance of smoking-related complications. We know that quitting can be difficult, but your improved smile—and your improved health—are worth it!

When we think of Valentine’s Day, we think of cards, flowers, and chocolates. We think of girlfriends celebrating being single together and couples celebrating their relationship. We think of all things pink and red taking over every pharmacy and grocery store imaginable. But what Dr. Dalessandro and our team would like to think of is when and how this joyous, love-filled day began.

Several martyrs’ stories are associated with the origins of Valentine’s Day. One of the most widely known suggests that Valentine was a Roman priest who went against the law at a time when marriage had been banned for young men. He continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret and when he was discovered, he was sentenced to death.

Another tale claims that Valentine was killed for helping Christians escape from Roman prisons. Yet another says that Valentine himself sent the first valentine when he fell in love with a girl and sent her a letter and signed it, “From your Valentine.”

Other claims suggest that it all began when Geoffrey Chaucer, an Englishman often referred to as the father of English literature, wrote a poem that was the first to connect St. Valentine to romance. From there, it evolved into a day when lovers would express their feelings for each other. Cue the flowers, sweets, and cards!

Regardless of where the holiday came from, these stories all have one thing in common: They celebrate the love we are capable of as human beings. And though that’s largely in a romantic spirit these days, it doesn’t have to be. You could celebrate love for a sister, a friend, a parent, even a pet.

We hope all our patients know how much we love them! Wishing you all a very happy Valentine’s Day from the team at Dalessandro Implants & Periodontics!