Dental Implant Dentistry Blog

Thin Receding Gums And Dental Implants – What's Important? Video by Ramsey Amin, DDS

Thin gums area major cause of gum recession and can cause problems with dental implants too.  You are genetically given the thickness of your gums.  When it comes to dental implants…the thicker the gums the better.  This is also true for natural teeth.  This video explains some of the important issues.

When someone has receding or thin gums, I can surgically correct this by a gum graft. So if the gum is too thin, it can be thickened.  Here is a photo of a gum graft I did to cover the root of this long tooth.

 

There are a couple of main issues associated with thin, fragile gums and dental implants.

1. The implant shows through the gums as a grey or grayish tint. This does not look good.
2. The gums can recede causing the bone to recede too.  If this happens, the threads of the implant can show. This becomes a long term issue.

This picture says it all:
Solutions I use: (much more detail in the video)

1. Gum and/or bone grafting before or during the implant procedure to thicken the gums
2. Use of a custom abutment made of zirconia or titanium
3. Proper implant design
4. Proper crown design
5. Precise placement of the implant to begin
6. At the time that I place implants, if possible, I move some of your existing gum from the palate side to the outside of your implant.
7. Platform switching design

As you can see, there is A LOT to dental implant success.  It is not just a screw put in the jaw!  Many dentists don’t bother with the gums and just put the implant in.  That is fine for the short term, but in time, you will probably develop problems.

Ramsey A. Amin, D.D.S.
Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology /Implant Dentistry
Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry
Burbank, California
http://www.burbankdentalimplants.com

Molar Dental Implant X-ray Series - Ramsey Amin, DDS -Burbank Dentist

 
Dental implants are excellent for replacing molarswhich are located in the back of your mouth.  Your molars are CRUCIAL to your long term dental health.  Even missing just one molar will set you up for problems to come.  Multiple missing molars create dental disasters that can become costly to reconstruct.

Molars with root canals are often lost. Sometimes you just lose root canal tooth because it fractures; splitting down the middle.  Other times, the crown of a root canal tooth, breaks off, leaving the root only.  The root often does not have enough left to make a new crown so a dental implant to replace the molar is best.

Always replace missing molars with dental implants as soon as you lose one either on the same day of extraction or within 2-6 months after the loss.

Here is a female patient from Glendale that I treated in Burbank: 

Here is that same tooth a few months later after the crown broke off.

 
 

 

Finished dental implant!
 

Ramsey A. Amin, D.D.S.
Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology /Implant Dentistry
Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry
Burbank, California
http://www.burbankdentalimplants.com 
 
 

 

Safe Sleep Sedation Dentistry – One Monitor You Need

Sedation or sleep dentistry is extremely safe. In fact, I do this 1-2 times a day (mostly by intravenous IV sedation). Having the right monitors while you are “asleep” is necessary.

A pulse oximeter is a device that attaches to your finger while you are sedated and tells me how much oxygen is in your blood stream. Knowing this number is critical for safety.  Many patients have all types of dental work done while they are “knocked out.”  For many patients I see, fear is a big factor in avoiding basic care such as dental implants, crowns, fillings or even cleanings.

During sedation, the advanced device shines light through your finger, detecting the color of the blood. Since blood changes color based on how oxygenated it is, the oxygen saturation can be calculated.  It measures how much oxygen is in your blood at any given moment. Blood carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body through arteries and the blood then returns through veins.

Having enough oxygen during sleep dentistry or surgery will keep you safe.  Along with specialty monitors that I use, your neck position is critical to maintaining good airflow to your lungs.  Knowing how to position your neck and jaw during sleep sedation dentistry is as important as state of the art monitors.

Along with your “SPO2” reading, a pulse oximeter also gives your pulse rate.

People always want to know what their oxygen saturation "should be". A fit, healthy young person will probably have an oxygen saturation of 95 - 99%. This will vary with age, degree of fitness, current altitude and whether you smoke.

Traditional doctors have used pulse oximeters to monitor various health related conditions including COPD, asthma, and sleep apnea just to name a few.

If you are scared of the dentist or just want to know more info, please leave your questions in the comments section below.

Ramsey A. Amin, D.D.S.
Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology /Implant Dentistry
Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry
Burbank, California
http://www.burbankdentalimplants.com