Diabetes and Implant Placement

This National Diabetes Awareness Month, we at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania want to raise awareness of the unique challenges people with diabetes face regarding their oral health. People with diabetes are at elevated risk for tooth loss, so dentists have long been studying the question of what kinds of prosthetic teeth are effective for them.

Research indicates that people with controlled diabetes can generally receive implants successfully, but there are a few areas that require extra precaution. One is that people with diabetes take longer to recover from surgical incisions, which are necessary for the placement of implants. This means that people with diabetes may expect a longer osseointegration period before their new dental crowns are placed. The other concern is that, because people with diabetes have higher rates of gum inflammation, their implants are at greater risk of failing prematurely.

Fortunately, a recent systemic review found that people with controlled diabetes hardly experience greater rates of implant failures than non-diabetic people. The key is that their oral health needs to be more closely monitored for signs of gingivitis, so that they can receive necessary cleanings quickly. If a patient has great trouble controlling their diabetes, dentures may be more appropriate. We offer dental implants at our offices, and will give each patient the individual care they need for lasting oral health.

 Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania operate in Philadelphia, Folsom, and Clifton Heights. Visit Oral Surgery PA.

 

Lip Swelling following Extractions

Tooth extractions are a routine procedure at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania. We’ll make treatment as minimally invasive as possible, allowing you to recover quickly and comfortably. However, to avoid swelling, we will need our patients to try to avoid biting their lips after they’ve been numbed.

During extractions, we often numb the inferior alveolar nerve. This nerve carries sensations from the teeth of the lower jaw, and numbing it also numbs the lower lip and chin. Children are especially likely to experimentally bite down on their numbed lips, although some people suffer biting injuries in their sleep. A bite will likely cause a large amount of swelling as well as an ulcer and white lesion. A red lesion, especially if accompanied by fever, could indicate infection.

Usually, swelling is not dangerous. A patient may be advised to take an over-the-counter painkiller, but draining and antibiotics will probably not be recommended unless there is reason to suspect infection. Complete healing may take a few weeks, but is unlikely to have other complications. When patients are released immediately after an extraction, they are advised to use cold packs for the first 24 hours to restrict swelling, and then switch to hot packs to make the swelling go down faster. Remembering to do this may also make a patient less inclined to bite their lip, or limit the damage if they do.

  Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania operate in Philadelphia, Folsom, and Clifton Heights. Visit Oral Surgery PA.

 

The Importance of Replacing Teeth

Suppose that you are missing one of your back teeth. Although this is not ideal, you may think that because the gap isn’t visible and you’re still able to chew and speak, there’s no pressing need for it to be replaced. Unfortunately, that would be incorrect. At Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania, some of our patients require extensive reconstruction due to the loss of bone structure around missing teeth. To help you avoid this, we wanted to say a bit about why you should replace teeth as soon as possible.

Our teeth are held in place by ligaments. When a tooth is lost, the supporting ligaments and muscles will atrophy, and no longer pull on the jaw bone. This causes the jaw bone to recede, as well, and it’s common for the section of jaw bone that supported a missing tooth to lose 25% of its width in the first year after the tooth’s loss. With less jaw bone tissue, it’s common for the remaining teeth to shift place, making it harder to chew and putting more pressure on the temporomandibular joints that connect the jaw to the head. If a person compensates for missing molars by chewing with their front teeth, their incisors may be pushed outward, causing the face to shrink vertically.

We offer dental implants for missing molars, but if the patient has lost jaw bone tissue, they may require a bone graft before receiving an implant. Another option is an implant-supported denture, which will help stabilize the jaw bone and stimulate new tissue growth.

  Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania operate in Philadelphia, Folsom, and Clifton Heights. Visit Oral Surgery PA.