The Only Reason You’ll Need for Wanting Dental Implants for Your Dentures

Bone Growth

Young or old, if you have dentures you are at risk for that “sunken jaw” look. It comes with the territory. As the prosthetic sits directly on the gums the bone shrinks, dentures become looser and you may even experience them slipping out at inopportune times. While complete dental implants are the industry standard of care for a missing tooth, not everyone is a candidate. For the rest of us, there’s a happy middle ground of securing your dentures with dental implants.

Many of us like to believe the worst part of losing teeth is the social stigma. The truth is actually worse than that. Just like with untreated tooth loss, the jawbone beneath dentures slowly (or quickly) deteriorates. This can be avoided with dental implants supporting your dentures. 

The implants are surgically placed into the jawbone and used as an anchor for a secure fitting denture. Over time, the implants go through a process called osseointegrate, where they will fuse to your jawbone. This both encourages bone growth and keeps your smile in place. Often times we’re even able to modify a patient’s existing dentures to work with the new implant hardware.

If you’re ready to preserve your oral health, give us a call for a consultation. We’ll find out together if you’re a candidate for implant supported dentures and if your current prosthetic lends itself to an upgrade.

Dr. Gregory Olsen, DDS, FICOI

Folsom Oral Surgery And Implant Center

2370 E. Bidwell, Suite 130

Folsom, CA 95630

Phone: 916-983-6637

Who Needs a Frenectomy?

Before the “who”, let’s start with the “what”— what’s a frenectomy? The short answer: a frenectomy is a minor dental procedure where excessive gum tissue is removed. Specifically gum tissue around the gum line. A frenectomy can be performed on one of two areas in the mouth: the lingual frenum or the labial frenum. Both are common and highly effective.

Lingual Frenectomy

The lingual frenum is beneath the tongue. Depending on growth, you’re likely just fine or may be a bit tongue tied. This is when the lingual frenum is tight enough to impede speech, and is really most common in children. In cases like these, having a lingual frenectomy will loosen your tongue to a greater range of motion allowing for clearer speaking. In some cases, it will also improve appetite if the excessive tissue was hindrance when eating.

Labial Frenectomy

The second type of frenectomy is on the labial frenum. It is much more visible as it’s the skin that’s attached to the middle of your upper gums. If there’s excess, it will pull your gums away from the bone. This often causes a gap between the two front teeth along with gum recession. If you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment, you may be recommended to have a frenectomy to help close gaps in your smile zone. While denture patients may consider the procedure to have a more secure fit, as the frenum may rub against the prosthetic causing discomfort.

Am I A Candidate for a Frenectomy?

A frenectomy is a quick procedure that can take as little as 15-minutes to fix a life-long problem. As with any dental treatment, we can only be sure you’re a candidate based on your unique case. If you’re tongue tied, feel like your tongue has limited range of motion, getting ready for orthodontic treatment, or if you have dentures, call for a consultation.

Dr. Gregory Olsen, DDS, FICOI

Folsom Oral Surgery And Implant Center

2370 E. Bidwell, Suite 130

Folsom, CA 95630

Phone: 916-983-6637

Do You Have a Dental Disorder?

The range of possible dental disorders is wide and many and some are more easily recognized than others. It could be a bit perplexing to consider you may have a dental disorder without realizing it, but it’s actually more common than you might think. Some disorders have obvious symptoms that may have you running to our office. Others can be more subtle. Do you feel tired, easily irritable, or have difficulty focusing? Do you have facial soreness or pain? Surprisingly, these may be the result of a dental disorder. Our goal is to educate our patients on common and uncommon symptoms that may be a sign to visit our office and receive the required care to remedy these conditions.

A dental disorder is a disruption of your body’s natural process relating to your oral health. Despite its origins, it is important to understand symptoms may be experienced elsewhere in the body. For this reason, many suffer from ailments they don’t consider relevant to tell their dentist. However, as we are a medical provider we encourage you to share things that may not seem related – you never know! Here are a few to keep on the lookout, so you can better identify signs should something be amiss.

Generally, wisdom teeth develop in the pre-teen years and by the late teens the crown of the wisdom teeth will begin to erupt. During the development phase if there isn't enough room, wisdom teeth will become impacted. Symptoms can cause or be caused by: infection to the gums, crowded teeth, decay of the wisdom teeth, incorrect positioning of the wisdom teeth, or a cyst that may destroy bone. All of these problems are painful and can be addressed during our consultation.

While scary to confront, oral growths are a condition that can emerge as serious. It is possible for oral growths to be completely benign and harmless, but in other cases they can be the beginning stages of cancer. For this reason it’s important a medical professional diagnose and treat the growths accordingly. Even if you are certain it’s harmless (for example, perhaps you suffered trauma to the face that injured your mouth), it’s still worth an appointment to ensure you’re not at an increased risk for infection or other potential issues.

We understand some conditions may seem complex. Rest assured we are here to work with you to find a solution to your unique needs. If you feel one or more of these conditions may apply to you or a family member, call our office to begin seeking relief today. We are here for you.

Dr. Gregory Olsen, DDS, FICOI

Folsom Oral Surgery And Implant Center

2370 E. Bidwell, Suite 130

Folsom, CA 95630

Phone: 916-983-6637

Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth are the final set of molars most individuals get in their mid-late teenage years. Not every person has wisdom teeth, and the number each person develops varies. While some individuals develop no wisdom teeth, others develop 1-8 wisdom teeth, with 4 being the most common. It is not always necessary to remove wisdom teeth, but it is common for them to threaten damage to the mouth. Extracting early minimizes these risks, while maximizing surgical benefits. Our goal is to educate patients on the different manners wisdom teeth can affect oral health.

How Do Wisdom Teeth Grow?

In some cases a wisdom tooth erupts healthy and properly aligned, in these cases they can be a valuable addition to the mouth! If we determine your wisdom teeth are not at any risk, we will respond accordingly and not take any unnecessary action. However, it is most common for the teeth to remain impacted. Impacted teeth occur when they become trapped in the soft tissues or bone of the jaw, increasing risk for cysts, tumors, infections, and grinding.

Wisdom Tooth Treatment

There are a few ways to address your wisdom teeth. Most commonly, they will be spotted via x-ray at your normal dental exam before they erupt or you ever feel them. The doctor will then present a treatment plan that is best for your specific case, and may extract the wisdom teeth before you ever notice they’re there at all. However, it is possible for you to discover a new tooth poking through! Don’t panic- just give our office a call and schedule an appointment.

Wisdom teeth can be a bit intimidating to think about, particularly because by the time they erupt, most of us have long forgotten how these growing pains feel. While it isn’t necessarily painful, that is a fear many people have and we understand. We place a premium on communicating with you from start to finish, so by the time the process is over the only worry you have is what flavor of ice cream you’ll be enjoying during the healing process!

Dr. Gregory Olsen, DDS, FICOI

Folsom Oral Surgery And Implant Center

2370 E. Bidwell, Suite 130

Folsom, CA 95630

Phone: 916-983-6637

Choose Dental Health NOT Insurance

Health insurance is a topic familiar to many, and varies from individual to individual. Providers are different, coverage fluctuates, and co-pays change as well. However, it is always important that the health of you and your family remains our number one priority.

Dental Emergency Care

An injured tooth, like any emergency situation, often presents an unexpected expense and financial hardship. It’s important to keep perspective and ensure your primary focus remains the danger it places on your body and health, not your wallet. Dental complications, like many health conditions, are degenerative; meaning, they get worse the longer you ignore treatment. Failing to address an ailment stresses the body and almost always increases the financial cost of treatment as the severity of the damage escalates. Using the example of a broken tooth, what may originally be a quick dental restoration can easily turn into an infection, decay, or cause a loss of the tooth entirely. A lost tooth results in replacement costs, and if those are ignored, can spiral into the migration or infection of the surrounding teeth. It’s easy for simple injuries to spiral into much more serious situations when treatment is neglected.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

You’ve likely heard this before, but clichés are clichés for a reason. The ounce of preventative and immediate treatment can save you a pound of further health problems, and a pound in your wallet. We care about your health and cost effective treatment options. Our office will never surprise you with unexpected bills, and we will always work with you to ensure you understand your treatment, the significance of receiving it, and the costs. If you require a treatment that presents a financial hardship, talk to us. Where possible, we will explore alternate treatment plans or discuss other solutions to ensure you are not placed in a difficult position. We do this while always keeping your health as our number one priority.

When it comes to ensuring the longevity of your health, communication is key. Don’t stay quiet about concerns of any kind – health, financial, or other: we are your health care partner and here to serve you.

Dr. Gregory Olsen
Folsom Oral Surgery And Implant Center

2370 E. Bidwell, Suite 130Folsom, CA 95630Phone: 916-983-6637

5 Reasons to See an Oral Surgeon

Most of us are well-versed with our trips to the general dentist and why regular cleanings are an important part of health care. However, teeth and all of their relating components are complicated systems requiring the help of several specialists – no matter the issue, there is a doctor that can help you! The doctor may be your general dentist, but it could also be a specialty doctor that has extensive training on a specific aspect of your oral health. In this way, you can be confident you are always taken care of and your smile can keep on shining.

We are an oral surgery practice, focusing on the complex systems relating to your mouth and the surrounding maxillofacial anatomy. We specialize in procedures like extractions, as well as sophisticated facial reconstructive surgeries. When it comes to trips to our office, here are five common reasons we might see you here!

•      Extraction
•      Wisdom Tooth Extraction
•      Bone Grafting/ Dental Implants
•      Jaw Surgery
•      Facial Reconstruction

Extraction

A tooth extraction may be necessary for a number of reasons, including injury or severe cases of decay. Our first goal is always to save the tooth. However in some cases it is not possible and we will guide you through a comfortable extraction process. Once complete, we will work with you to achieve the best possible outcome for your smile with tooth replacement options.

Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Although not everyone requires their wisdom teeth extracted, the vast majority of us do at one point or another. Wisdom teeth vary greatly in their development, and can come in at different ages and positions. If you are fortunate enough that yours erupt cleanly and in alignment, your general dentist may be able to perform the extraction for you. However, it’s incredibly common for wisdom teeth to become impacted in the jaw bone, or erupt at odd angles in the mouth. When this happens, we can comfortably accommodate the extraction.

Bone Grafting & Dental Implants

There are a variety of situations that require a bone grafting procedure for when there is not sufficient bone remaining in the mouth, most commonly: extraction site graft, past injury, severe caries, or periodontal disease. Bone regeneration is a procedure used to prevent gum scar tissue from invading a vacant space in order to best reshape or rebuild the jaw. The use of these procedures can greatly enhance the outcome of restorative procedures, such as dental implants. Implant procedures are one of our primary specializations – having a missing tooth can damage a person’s confidence, but did you know it can also affect the health of their mouth? When your smile has a vacant space, gum tissue and the surrounding teeth will compete to fill it. The damage it can cause is highly preventable, so if you have a missing tooth you should let us know. It is both a cosmetic and medical procedure that we are happy to work through with you.

Jaw Surgery

Jaw surgery is an important procedure that can bring patients joy by improving both the health and the aesthetics of their smile. It can correct a wide range of irregularities, whether they are sustained from environmental factors (such as injury or lifestyle habits) or simply genetic. Without receiving needed treatment, many individuals struggle with chewing, speaking, breathing, or other daily functions. Problems can also arise from excessive wearing of the teeth or straining the jaw. Jaw surgery is performed by the highly trained specialists in our office to drastically improve your quality of life and confidence in your smile.

Facial Reconstruction

Oral surgeons are trained to handle more than just the health of your teeth. We specialize in treating many forms of facial trauma, and can accompany you through a facial reconstructive surgery. Facial injuries can feel daunting, and are oftentimes emotional – we are here to help. When you become our patient, you can be sure you are in extremely qualified hands and focus on feeling better.

We are here to help you feel confident about the health of your smile. If you believe any of these procedures could benefit you, or if you have any other concerns about your oral health – contact our office and let us help.

Dr. Gregory Olsen
Folsom Oral Surgery And Implant Center

2370 E. Bidwell, Suite 130Folsom, CA 95630Phone: 916-983-6637

What to know about Cone Beam Technology

                 When it comes to the comprehensive treatment of your teeth, imaging technology has played a fundamental role in the realm of oral surgery. Being that oral surgeons, by definition, deal with the anatomy of surrounding structures and tissues, being able to see below the surface and what is visible to the eye is essential when it comes to successful treatment.

                 Previously, imaging technology has been a limiting factor in the ability of doctors to identify and treat complex oral health issues. The advent of X-ray films brought a host of new information to dental professionals, and even more so when digital imaging became a staple feature of dental practices. These developments have provided health care professionals with even more information to accurately diagnose and treat complex issues of the teeth. We can now learn even more information pertaining to the location of nerves and other anatomy that could impact treatment. 

                 While all these resources have been an invaluable part of the evolution of dental treatment, they have not come without drawbacks; namely, until now all dental imaging technologies have been 2-D, which offers only an incomplete portion of the big picture. In one image, all may look well, but moving the camera even a little may unearth more problems that were impossible to see in the first image. This is why our practice is so proud to offer the cutting-edge Cone Beam Computed Tomography’, or CBCT technology and offer our patients seamless diagnoses and treatment options.

                 Cone Beam technology offers the most significant imaging technology breakthrough in a decade by providing us with a comprehensive 3-D image of your mouth….all you need to know is: this means we can see everything! For the first time, with a single X-ray we can produce a 360° image that is virtually free of distortion. This allows us to have an extremely high rate of accurate detection, diagnosis, and treatment with little hassle to the patient. As compared to past methods, we are proud to be able to offer the level of service CBCT allows us to bring you.

                                  We know this stuff can be a little dense! As the patient, what it is most important for you to understand is how we can better treat you thanks to new technology available in our practice.

                 Cone Beam technology marks a new era for health care providers, and we are excited to be one of the oral surgery practices that can bring its benefits directly to you. When you’re in pain or dealing with treatment options, you don’t want a complicated process for diagnosis and treatment. Fortunately, with our access to advanced medical equipment, we can ease the process and will have you leaving our office happy and healthy. 

Dr. Gregory Olsen

Folsom Oral Surgery And Implant Center

2370 E. Bidwell, Suite 130
Folsom, CA 95630
Phone: 916-983-6637