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The Bone Grafting Procedure

If you are looking for a full smile reconstruction, dental implants may be at the top of your mind. Unfortunately, many patients are not suited for this procedure because of a few reasons. One reason may be lack of soft tissue around the teeth. Missing soft tissue around the teeth allows for a weakened structure. Another procedure that may need to occur prior to dental implant procedure is bone grafting. Bone grafting is necessary for the patients who do not have enough jawbone dentistry to keep the implant permanent.

Bone grafting is a common procedure prior to having your dental implants placed. While bone grafting does not just exist for the sake of dental implant procedures, they tend to go hand in hand.

The bone grafting procedure is when your doctor takes a piece of bone and places it in the jaw to create a stronger structure. When the bone is placed, the patient will go through a healing period where the bone fuses with the existing jawbone, creating a dense foundation once again. This foundation will allow for the implant to hold strong, and not fail. At the time you decide bone grafting is for you, your doctor will aid you in the bone grafting treatment and fill you in on the details surrounding the procedure.

Typically, a doctor will take a piece of bone from another part of the body, like the chin. If you choose to not use your own bone, there are other options to choose from:

Autogenous (self-produced) bone comes from the person having the surgery and might be taken from the chin, or perhaps the hips.
Block bone grafting is the process of cutting a piece of bone from another area of the body and implanting the area requiring the strong dental implant bone. It will need to be left for around three to six months before it will ready to take the tooth implant.
Allograft bone comes from other human donors, usually cadavers.

If you’re ready for your perfect smile and are looking to go through dental implants, schedule a consultation with your dentist. During this consultation, your dentist will decide if you need any procedures and treatments prior to the implants being placed.

Managing Sleep Apnea

Many people suffer from restless nights and feeling sleep deprived. Another thing many people face is snoring, and not feeling like you can breathe efficiently through the night. If these are common symptoms you are facing on a nightly basis, you may be suffering from sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a disorder that disrupts your breathing in the night, causing you to constantly wake yourself. The lack of breathing typically begins heavy snoring, which is not ideal night after night. If you find yourself feeling tired even after sleeping fully through the night, seek dental treatment for sleep apnea.

When you go to the dentist, you may be put through a sleep test. During this sleep test, you will be attached to monitors that will track your breathing, and lack thereof. This will allow your doctor effectively manage your sleep apnea, if that is the disorder you are facing.

There are different types of sleep apnea, but these are the main three:

Obstructive sleep apnea: this is one of the more common forms of sleep apnea. This is when your throat muscles relax.
Central sleep apnea: this type of sleep apnea occurs when your brain is not sending proper signals to the muscles that control your breathing.
Complex sleep apnea syndrome: this is also called treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, which occurs when someone has obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a very serious disorder. If you are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms, seek treatment. There is a multitude of ways your doctor can treat your sleep apnea, depending on the severity. From mouth appliances to breathing machines, there is a fix for it all. If not taken care of, sleep apnea has the chance to cause other health issues.

If you believe you are suffering from sleep apnea, call your dental professional. From this step, they will set up a consultation with you and schedule you in for sleep testing. During this, a specific treatment plan will be configured just for you and your needs to help your health.

Straighten Your Teeth With Clear Braces

At Smile Designs of the Shenandoah Valley, Dr. Kenneth Banks offers a wide array of cosmetic dentistry options for his patients. One of those cosmetic options is teeth realignment via MTM® Clear Aligners. These clear aligner trays are removable braces that help transform the aesthetic alignment of your teeth. The dental team at Smile Designs can help patients straighten their teeth in as little 3 to 6 months due to the unique design of this type of clear braces. Continue reading to learn about the other benefits that the MTM treatment can offer.

Discreet treatment –

Since the aligners are made of clear plastic, they are virtually invisible to the naked eye. This allows you to wear the aligners throughout the day without having to worry about at standing out because of embarrassing oral appliances sticking out of your mouth like you would with traditional braces.

Removal –

Although you should wear your aligners as much as possible to ensure that your treatment is working correctly, you do have the luxury of removing your aligners’ trays. Your trays should be removed before and during meals so they don’t get damaged and can be removed for up to two hours before effecting your treatment process.

Shorter time frame –

Unlike traditional orthodontics options that are known to take up to 18 months or longer to complete treatment, an MTM treatment works in a fraction of the time while still maintaining the same (if not better) professional outcome. Of course, your treatment will depend on your specific oral needs but a complete MTM treatment will take up to six months.

Less expensive –

Since MTM treatments are completed in a shorter amount of time and there fewer materials used in the entire process, MTM aligners are much more affordable than traditional options.

Learn more:

For more information on enhancing your smile with our MTM treatments, contact our Shenandoah, WV offices to schedule an appointment with Dr. Banks.

What to Look for in a Smile Makeover Treatment

About smile makeovers

It’s a great idea to learn about the different options available for a smile makeover if you’re someone who doesn’t feel entirely confident with the way your smile looks. By choosing to undergo a smile makeover treatment you can regain your self-confidence and help excel both your personal and professional life. The list provided below offers four great tips on how to choose the right smile makeover procedure.

#1 – Know the difference between temporary and permanent options

Before making a final decision on which makeover treatment option to choose, it’s important to identify if the selected treatment is temporary or permanent. Temporary options for a smile makeover treatment can last for several years and permanent options are made to last forever.

#2 – Understand how long it will take to complete the treatment

Some treatments for a smile makeover can be completed within one or two appointments. Although more complex cases can take anywhere from weeks to months to finish the entire process. This is why it’s important to understand how long it will take to complete your entire treatment process.

#3 – Caring for new restoration treatments

Before you choose a smile makeover treatment, it’s also important to understand how to care for your smile makeover restoration option before you fully commit. An example of properly caring for your restoration includes things like avoiding the use of polishing devices or ultrasonic scalers and using certain types of dental care products.

#4 – Ask about material choices

Smile makeover options, like dental veneers, are available in different types of materials. That makes it a good idea for patients, such as yourself to ask what type of materials your treatment options are available in. It’s best to remember that each type of material has its advantages and disadvantages.

More information:

Life is too short for you to not be happy with your smile. With the advanced dental technology we offer at our Inwood, WV office, you can now do something about it. Contact us to schedule an appointment to speak with Dr. Banks to regain your smile today.

Family Dental Care: A Dentist for Everyone

There are many benefits of dealing with a family dentist and some include the fact that such dentists will be ready and willing to treat every member of your family, regardless of their age. Moreover, these dentists use a variety of techniques within the general field of dental care that when used will effectively treat different and common family dental problems. So, if you or a member of your family is experiencing pain or another kind of dental problem, you seek dental attention your family dentist who will then take care of the problems.

It is in fact common for a family dentist to recommend to you that for a child aged about seven years that they be given an orthodontic checkup on a regular basis. In addition, most family dentists also recommend beginning orthodontic care for children aged between nine and fourteen years and to also have difficult problems checked by a specialist orthodontist.

Besides orthodontic care a family dentist can also provide the entire family with cosmetic dental care that include cleaning as well as eliminating stains from the teeth and they can also alter the shape and also the length of teeth. Other services provided by a family dentist include bridging gaps and restoring and polishing teeth that look worn out. They also can aid in filling dental cavities.

Parents should encourage their family members to visit their family dentist at least once in every six months. Your family dentist may be able to provide you with payment plans, which is a feature that drives greater numbers of clients to the dentist.

Getting timely family care dentistry done is not all that difficult. Even if you are a very busy person which leaves you with little time to visit your dentist to get a dental checkup you can get the required dental care. The best part is that the family dentist will provide the entire required dental care including prevention and restoration work that will ensure the continuing health of each family members teeth.

Implant Dentistry Cost: What to Expect When Getting Dental Implants

Over the years, dental implants have become routine procedure and are performed on a number of patients every day. People who have lost their teeth during accidents can now get permanent replacement teeth through this procedure. When people lose their teeth and seek implants are fitted with a new set of teeth that are as strong or stronger than natural teeth.

The implant dentistry practice has considerable improved over the years. The best part of it is due to technology advancements, implant dentistry cost has gone done over the past few years. As scientists develop more efficient technologies, the cost of implant dentistry considerably lessens. As implant dentistry cost goes down, more and more people can now afford this type of procedure. Moreover, most dental care insurance providers cover implant dentistry cost so if you happen to have some missing teeth, you can ask your insurance company to pay for the implant dentistry cost.

Getting Implants

Although the cost of implant dentistry has decreased, not all people will get implants. We have to understand that not all people are eligible to get dental implants so we should not take this type of procedure for granted. Just because you lost a tooth somewhere in your mouth and you can afford to pay that implant dentistry cost that does not mean that you can run to your dentist and your dentist can put a replacement tooth with batting an eyelid. Implant dentistry has its limitations and people who have badly damaged jawbones may not be able to make use of this technology. To know if you are qualified for dental implants, you should see your dentist for a preliminary evaluation. If your dentist says that you are eligible for this type of treatment that is that time when you can start preparing for the procedure.

Most types of dental implant procedures will not take more than a couple of hours and you do not need to be admitted to the hospital after the procedure. However, since your dentist will use anesthesia during the procedure, you should bring along a friend or a family member to drive you home after the procedure.

The Different Cosmetic Dentistry Services

Cosmetic dentistry has many different treatments that can offer solutions to all types of oral issues. Sometimes it can be difficult the choose the best option for your specific problem. Luckily, Dr. Kenneth Banks and the remarkable team at Smile Designs in Inwood, West Virginia is here to help you with understanding the different types of treatments. Dr. Banks uses numerous cosmetic dentistry treatments to fix your specific dental healthcare problems. Below are a few of the options commonly offed by a cosmetic dentist.

Teeth whitening procedures – This is a common dental treatment that is used to enhance the color of your actual teeth. This is done by applying one of two types of techniques: a dental based laser or an oral gel placed around the teeth.

Porcelain veneers— An individual’s teeth can chip, fracture, and even decay over the duration of their life. Cosmetic dental issues like this can be corrected with a porcelain veneering procedure. The veneer is a ceramic covering that is positioned over your damaged teeth to restore them to a healthy, balanced, and good-looking smile.

Dental implants – Among one of the most prominent procedures for cosmetically replacing a missing tooth is the dental implant option. These are prosthetic teeth that are surgically placed within the spaces in the jawbone that the original teeth have left to restore your entire smile.

Clear braces – Many of us will avoid getting braces based on the level of embarrassment they might bring in our adult lives. Clear braces are a great alternative to that fear. They are translucent aligners that are used to correct the same issues traditional braces fix.

Contact our Inwood, West Virginia office, to get more information about the various cosmetic dental treatments that we offer at Smile Designs. One of our team members will be more than happy to assist you with scheduling a visit to speak with Dr. Banks to learn more.

What is Dental Implant Insurance?

We’ve all heard of dental insurance. Dental patients usually invest in an insurance that covers the average oral problems and defects; but have you ever tried looking for dental implant insurance? Finding dental implant insurance can be difficult since it’s considered a cosmetic procedure, so most insurance companies don’t cover it. However, it’s not impossible to find implant coverage, listed below are a few things to think about when searching for dental implant coverage.

Dental Implant Insurance: What Is It?

Like the name suggest, dental implant insurance is an insurance policy that is typically used by people that have undergone an implant procedure. Considering that the procedure itself is quite costly you’ll want to invest in a policy that covers any complications or misfortunes that involve your new oral acquisitions. Although with an operation success rate of 98%, there aren’t many complications to worry about, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

When Should You Opt for a Policy?

With such a high success rate, many people view the idea of implant insurance as unnecessary. On the flip side of that idea, you should take into consideration that implant insurance may not be necessary, but is a very smart percussion based on everyday life situations. For example, what if Starbucks happens to be very busy one day and someone swings the door open and it impacts your new implants causing them to chip or even worse, needs replacement. Or a time where you slip and fall face-first into a hard surface resulting in the same outcome. Wouldn’t you rather have an insurance policy that covers some part of the correctional procedure instead of shelling out another 2 to 4 thousand dollars out of pocket just for implants alone? You should view the option of insurance as an investment for protecting your smile, you’ve worked so hard to obtain it so securing it should be a priority.

Where Can You Get One?

Since many believe that dental implant insurance is unnecessary, fewer companies have a policy that supports its coverage. However, it’s very helpful to ask your dentists and searching online for potential providers.

If you’re still unsure about dental implant insurance and would like more information, the staff at Smile Designs of the Shenandoah Valley is here to answer any questions you have. Contact our office today to set up a consultation with Dr. Banks to make everything you need is taken care of. We are conveniently located in the Inwood, WV area to better assist you with all your oral healthcare needs.

The Process of Extracting a Tooth

Dental extractions are amongst the simplest and ideal ways to get relief from a bothersome tooth. There are two major types of extractions a dentist can perform: a simple extraction and a complex extraction. The type of extraction performed is dependent on the extent of the tooth’s problem. In this article, we’ll go over the process of a typical extraction.

Basic tooth extractions procedure

Tooth extractions are one of the most typically performed worldwide procedures of dentistry. During a basic extraction, the dentist (Dr. Banks) will remove the tooth by loosening the periodontal tissue (a.k.a. your gums) around the tooth. They will then apply pressure around the tooth with forceps and motion back and forth until they can extract it to without damaging the outlet from which the tooth came from.

As previously mentioned, the trick to removing a tooth using the pulling method is to slowly shake the tooth from side to side or back and forth, in return, this expands the socket in the bone and breaks the ligament that helps hold the tooth in place. This ligament is usually referred to as the periodontal ligament.

Simple tooth extractions are not a lengthy process to finish. Your dentist will more than likely numb your mouth prior to the start of the operation, this is so you won’t feel any kind of discomfort during the treatment. Depending on the tooth, pulling it will typically take just a couple of minutes after your anesthetic kicks in.

Post-op guidelines

As soon as the operation is completed, the dental professional will put gauze in your mouth to decrease any kind of excessive bleeding. Your dental professional will then instruct you with particular post-op directions. After that, you are free to go home.

Contact us for more

For more information on dental extractions, contact our office today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Banks. Our friendly and knowledgeable team at Smile Designs are here to answer any questions you might have about all things dental related. We are currently located in the Inwood area in West Virginia to better assist you with your oral healthcare.