5 Procedures You May Need Before a Tooth Restoration

Not everyone can simply have a tooth restoration procedure completed. There are certain oral anomalies that can impact if a dental implant, denture or even dental crown can be placed correctly. To ensure your tooth restoration will fit comfortably and function properly, you may need one or more procedures completed before your restorative procedure. At First Smile Family Dental, we offer advanced preparation procedures and restorative dentistry all under one roof. Here are five procedures we offer that you may need before your tooth or smile restoration.

1. Crown Lengthening
   If you have excessive gum tissue, it can cover too much of the crown of your tooth. Crown lengthening is used to remove gum tissue to expose more of the tooth material. This procedure can be used as a cosmetic treatment for a gummy smile, but it also may be needed to fit a dental crown for tooth repair, dental bridge or tooth protection.
2. Alveoloplasty
   The alveolus is the part of the jawbone that surrounds the teeth roots. When teeth are extracted or lost, the alveolus can form ridges that can make it difficult to fit dentures to replace the teeth. Alveoloplasty is a procedure to reshape the jawbone to remove these ridges before creating new dentures.
3. Tori Removal
   Another form of oral bumps that can interfere with tooth restorations are tori. A torus is a bony oral growth that can be caused by teeth grinding or hereditary factors. The growths are benign, but they can interfere with tooth restorations like dental implants or dentures. Tori removal can smooth these growths before tooth or smile restorations.
4. Bone Graft
   For dental implants, a certain amount of bone is needed to support the post of the implant. Bone grafts may be recommended to increase bone in the area of the dental implants. Dental bone grafting may be completed before the implant procedure to grow new bone or in conjunction with implant surgery.
5. Sinus Lift
   The upper back jawbone is a common place for bone loss, and it is a difficult area to build up bone for a dental implant, due to the sinus cavity above. A sinus lift procedure may be recommended if you want dental implants for the upper jaw to raise the floor of the sinus cavity to make room for bone grafting and implant placement.

At First Smile Family Dental, we utilize the latest dental technology and offer complex oral surgery procedures all under one roof. We can perform both the tooth restoration and the preparation for our patients at our state-of-the-art dental center in Federal Way. Call us today to learn more about our tooth restoration and complete mouth reconstruction options.