March 11, 2024 Losing a tooth can be a stressful experience, but the good news is that modern dentistry offers a variety of solutions to restore your smile and oral health. One of the most important decisions you’ll face after a tooth extraction is tooth replacement. While regaining a complete smile is a priority, how soon should I replace the missing tooth? The answer, like many things in......
March 11, 2024 Bone grafting is a common surgical procedure that plays a vital role in oral surgery. By strategically adding bone material to your jaw, bone grafting helps create a strong foundation for dental implants, ultimately leading to a restored smile and improved oral health. While the procedure itself is a success, understanding how to optimize your experience before, during, and after surgery can significantly contribute to......
December 13, 2023 Dental implants are widely considered the gold standard for tooth replacement, and one of the most common reasons is their longevity. Dental implants typically last quite a bit longer than any other form of tooth replacement. In fact, with the right hygiene and care, dental implants may last a long time. But, while implant failure is rare, one of the most common reasons why it......
November 29, 2023 Most of us get our wisdom teeth at some point during adolescence or early adulthood. The problem with these third molars is that the jawbone usually does not have sufficient space for them. When left in place, wisdom teeth often lead to long-term complications. Meanwhile, proactive wisdom teeth removal can be a meaningful investment in your long-term comfort, convenience, and quality of life. Patients often......
September 29, 2023 Two popular options for replacing missing teeth are dental implants and dentures. Both traditional dentures and dental implants offer a solution to restore function and aesthetics to your smile, but they differ significantly in terms of cost, durability, maintenance, and overall impact on oral health....
September 22, 2023 The sudden loss of a tooth due to an accident or injury can be devastating, but having a tooth knocked out of the smile doesn't necessarily it is lost. A tooth can be successfully replanted into a smile if it is handled carefully, protected from damage, and kept clean....
September 15, 2023 When it comes to replacing multiple teeth, dental implants are often the most recommended solution by dentists. They offer a permanent, long-lasting replacement that looks and functions like natural teeth. But you might wonder how many dental implants are needed to replace multiple teeth. Understanding the process can alleviate concerns and pave the way toward a full, confident smile. Understanding the Dental Implant Process A......
Female model for bone grafting and dental implants.
April 12, 2023 When you lose a tooth and do not have it replaced right away, it can often result in jawbone resorption. Without the natural stimulation provided by your tooth roots, the jawbone can deteriorate, causing unwanted changes to your facial appearance and making dental restoration more challenging. The solution is bone grafting, a procedure that regenerates bone where you need it most.  Reasons to Pursue Bone...
April 12, 2023 When you lose one or more teeth, it affects your quality of life in several ways. Fortunately, there are a number of treatments available that can restore missing teeth, with dental implants widely considered to be the gold standard. At Mercer Island Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, one of the most common questions we receive is how long dental implants will last. They are often touted......
April 12, 2023 It is the goal of every oral surgeon to help you keep your natural teeth for as long as possible, hopefully for the entirety of your lifetime. However, some situations may emerge in which a tooth is either too damaged or too diseased to be salvaged, in which case the best option is to extract and replace it. At Mercer Island Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery,......
April 5, 2023 Having your wisdom teeth removed temporarily changes aspects of your daily life while you recover. There are certain things you cannot do, should not do, and should do while healing. One of the things you should not do is drink from straws. Drinking from a straw while recovering from surgery can wreak havoc on your oral health and cause a lot of pain and discomfort.......