Oral Pathology – How it Affects You

                                              Oral Pathology – How it Affects You

Many people do not know what oral pathology is or how it can affect them. Here is some detailed information on oral pathology to help you understand its importance to your oral health.

What is Oral Pathology?

Oral pathology is a dental specialty that studies the diseases associated with teeth, gums, and jaw bones. These are the specialists who diagnose any condition relating to your oral health.

Oral Diseases

There are certain common signs and symptoms related to oral disease everyone should be aware of, such as:

·         Red gums

·         Sensitivity to hot and cold

·         Bleeding gums

·         Bad breath on a regular basis

·         Pain in gums

·         Change in your bite

·         Gums pulling away from teeth

·         Teeth shifting

Some of the oral diseases that an oral surgeon may diagnose someone with are plicated tongue, hairy-coated tongue, geographic tongue, changes to taste, burning mouth syndrome, oral cancer, and canker sores.

How Oral Health Affects Your Overall Health

Oral health has been at the forefront of studies lately, and medical experts have discovered a link between poor oral health and increased risk of heart disease and cancer. Other studies have shown that gum disease can be linked to respiratory diseases and diabetes.

Ways to Keep Your Mouth Healthy

If you are wondering how to how prevent oral diseases, there are a few things you can implement to help keep your teeth, mouth, and gums healthy. Try to eat healthy foods and avoid smoking. Make sure to brush and floss daily, and use mouthwash as needed. Visit dental professionals regularly, so no problems are missed.

Making these recommendations a daily habit will help ensure good oral health for years to come. Speak with your oral surgeon if you have any questions about what products you should use in your oral health routine.

Oral pathology is a vital part of what oral surgeons do. They are able to recognize signs and symptoms of oral disease, diagnose it, and treat it so that it doesn’t become a long-term problem for the patient. As a patient, being informed is key. If more patients are aware of the signs and symptoms of oral disease, they will be able to contact an oral surgeon for treatment before it leads to further damage.

If you have any of these signs of oral disease or are concerned about your oral health, contact Solace Oral Surgery for further information.

Dental Implants to Restore Your Smile

                         
                                                Dental Implants to Restore Your Smile

Dental implants are a great way to replace your missing teeth. For years, the only options for missing teeth were dentures and bridges. Dental implants are strong and durable artificial roots with natural-looking teeth (usually titanium) surgically placed into the upper or lower jawbone. A dental implant can restore your smile.

Types of Implants

·         

S   Single missing tooth implant: when both the tooth and root are damaged on a single tooth, the best permanent replacement is a single dental implant in conjunction with a ceramic crown.

·         Multiple missing tooth implants: when replacing a few teeth in the far back of the mouth, a fixed bridge anchored to dental implants is the only fixed alternative.

·         All teeth missing implants: when all teeth are missing, a full jaw with dental implants and a fixed bridge is added that results in a permanent, stable and high esthetic solution.

·         All-On-4^® Implants: this relatively new technique uses fewer implants than earlier types. The new implants are situated at mechanical inclinations that maximize support. This means a less invasive process, which would mean less expense.

Improved Speech, Comfort, and Eating

Poor-fitting dentures can slip in your mouth, causing impaired speech. Implants eliminate the pain and discomfort of removable dentures and improve your speech. Additionally, sliding dentures can make eating and chewing difficult and even painful. Dental implants function like your own teeth, which allow you to eat your favorite foods without pain.

           

Improved Self-esteem and Oral Health

Dental implants can give you back your smile and help you feel better about yourself. A healthy smile can boost your overall confidence, making you more comfortable in public situations – especially when eating or speaking. Implants improve oral hygiene by allowing easier access between teeth. Implants can also resolve bite problems caused by missing tooth space. Dental implants can eliminate the embarrassing inconvenience of messy denture removal and adhesives. Implants, with good care, may last a lifetime. They are durable and more convenient than traditional dentures.

Without the root structure of a natural tooth present, the jawbone can shrink, which can make your face appear older than it is. Anyone who is missing their teeth as a result of disease, injury, or simple tooth decay should consider how dental implants can be beneficial.

Dental implants are stable and comfortable with no loose parts. Generally speaking, people who are in good enough health for a tooth extraction are well enough to have a dental implant procedure. Contact us today to discover if you are a candidate for dental implants.  After an evaluation of your health and dental history, we can guide you to a thoughtful decision.  At Solace Oral Surgery, we are happy to answer any questions. Contact us today.

Dentist or Oral Surgeon: When to Visit Each?

Dentist or Oral Surgeon: When to Visit Each?

Patients have many options in dental providers, and the decision of which type of dental professional is best for your current needs can be tricky.  Understanding the differences between general dentists and oral surgeons can help you make an informed choice for dental care. Depending on your needs or the needs of your family, you may need to see both a dentist and an oral surgeon.

General Dentist

A dentist (DDS degree, Doctor of Dental Surgery or DMD degree, Doctor of Dental Medicine) has completed 4-5 years of higher education and can diagnose and treat conditions and diseases of the mouth, as well as perform minor surgical procedures such as simple incisions and extractions.

General Dentistry Clinical Practice

General dentists are primary care providers for dental medicine. They diagnose, manage, and treat your overall oral health, and often make recommendations for how to prevent common dental problems. Dentist offices provide teeth cleaning, X-rays, and a comprehensive screening for dental problems. They also provide dental fillings, veneers, bridges, crowns, and gum care. Although a general dentist may perform simple tooth extractions, more complex surgeries may be outside of the scope of a general dentist’s competence.

Oral Surgeon

An oral surgeon also has a DDS or DMD degree, but must complete 4 to 8 years of additional training, such as a surgical residency, after dental school. Oral surgeons sometimes complete an additional medical degree.

Oral Surgery Clinical Practice

An oral surgeon is the oral health care provider who performs surgical procedures in and about the entire face, mouth, and jaw area. A general dentist will often refer a patient to an oral surgeon when a problem is beyond the scope of the dentist’s expertise. An oral surgeon may perform dental implants, simple tooth extractions, complex extractions (removal of soft tissue, bone or roots), wisdom teeth removal, soft tissue biopsies, removal of oral cavity tumors, complex jaw realignment surgeries, reconstructive dental surgery, fractured jaw bone or cheek repair, and cleft palate repair surgery.

Understanding the difference between a general dentist and an oral surgeon can save you time when making the right decision for dental care. Remember to bring along an updated medical history. Explain any recent health issues, even if they seem unrelated to your mouth’s health. A healthy smile is the gateway to good health, but it is also a way to feel more confident. Call us today for questions about your smile.

Smile for Christmas Winner: A story of Hope and Faith

                    Meet Our Smile for Christmas Winner: A Story of Hope and Faith

Everyone goes through seasons of life when heartache seems closer than hope and tears come easier than smiles. For Caroline Lusk, that season has been long and exhausting. 

Like so many others, she witnessed her parent’s divorce. Many years later, she lost her father in a motorcycle accident at the hand of an impaired driver. The years in between and after held additional struggles. To cope with her circumstances, she developed an unhealthy relationship with food that sent her to multiple treatment centers and threatened her well-being—physically and psychologically.

Over time, she achieved stability, enabling her to move forward with life. She met and married a wonderful Christian man, had two healthy children and began to embrace the reality of grace that allows one to emerge from darkness into a new day.

Life wasn’t perfect.

There were relapses.

As a writer and non-profit professional, she was and continues to be engaged in either ministry or philanthropic work. It’s the kind of work she did and still does believe in, but in industries that are volatile at best, it’s never been a sure thing.

Beyond that, her health history had left its mark. Nearly 20 years of acid reflux had worn away the enamel on her teeth, compromising their stability and health.

When she happened upon the Smile for Christmas give-away from Solace Oral Surgery, it was as though once again the heavens opened and mercy rained down. Finally, she would be able to regain oral health, whereby improving her physical well-being. More than that, this opportunity meant that the smile that had been emerging inside, out of the wake of great loss, could now be reflected on the outside.

Today, she is celebrating a new season. One in which hope redeems heartache and smiles wipe away the tears. 

Dr. Jaime Romero’s Hard Work Brings Smiles to Patients

               Dr. Jaime Romero’s Hard Work Brings Smiles to Patients

 

What do you get when you combine a helicopter pilot, an oral surgeon, and an ex-migrant tree planter? You get Dr. Jaime Romero Jr., a hard-working, adventurous father of four who loves to give people their smile back at Solace Oral Surgery. His success has not been easy or instantaneous, but rather marked by determination and love for family and country.

 

Dr. Jaime Romero was born in the United States but, as a child, moved to Mexico to be raised closer to his grandparents. When he was twelve years old, his father wanted to follow his dream of higher education, transplanting the family of six across the country near a college in Mexico, south of Texas. When things did not go as planned, the family of six had to live in their van while they sought more permanent housing. This turned to permanent homelessness and hardship and his father left school to plant trees in Mississippi and Tennessee. During this change, his father got very sick, so Jaime, the oldest of four children, had to stop his schooling to help the family by planting trees. For the next five years, Jaime did not attend a traditional school but taught himself math and science from simple books.

Then everything changed. Jaime’s grandfather made him promise that he would go back to school to have a better life. Jaime, having huge respect and love for his grandfather made him this promise. Two weeks after this, Jaime’s grandfather died unexpectedly. This was a turning point in Jaime’s life. Jaime made good on his promise and going back to school. He attended an alternative high school in Savannah, TN, where he worked off his tuition. Because his grades were so good, he graduated and attended college the following year. “I was taking college classes like algebra, biology, and chemistry, but” unlike his college classmates, “I had never taken these classes in high school before,” he said. He was up for the challenge. He worked very hard and keep determined. And, both he and his father realized their dream of graduating college together.

Jaime’s love of country and the benefits for college tuition prompted him to join the Army ROTC, eventually learning to fly helicopters for the Army. As soon as he was done with flight school, though, he was accepted into dental school. He transferred units to the Dental Corp. and was then deployed to Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Soon after his return in 2008, he was accepted into the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residency program at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.

With the love and support of his wife, Eva Angelina, and their four children, Dr. Romero has the joy of listening to his patients and giving them their smile back. In 2013, he opened his own practice at Solace Oral Surgery in Nashville, TN, where he does not take the trust of his patients for granted. He especially loves full-smile reconstruction and placing implants. “When the patient looks at you and smiles, they get emotional,” Dr. Romero says, “And we do, too.”

The future of Solace Oral Surgery is bright. The practice has grown since opening in 2013 and is now expanding. Dr. Romero would love to expand the practice without losing that personal connection he has with his patients. His love for education also extends to his patients, where his blog and website provide additional information for patients to make informed decisions about their care.

 

Dr. Romero also likes to give back to the community. He and his wife Eva are involved in numerous charitable organizations that are close to their heart. He loves to inspire youth and help others in need. In 2014, Solace Oral Surgery had a “Smile for Christmas” giveaway which provided a new smile for someone in need.  At Solace Oral Surgery, the phrase “All that is good begins with a SMILE” is put into practice.

 

Dr. Romero has advice for students and others who want to pursue their dreams. First, he says to never give up but to persevere with hard work. Second, he says to be fearless of failure. “Failure is a way for us to grow. The journey, even if you fail, will be worth it. And you can learn from the mistakes of others.” Lastly, he says not to listen to negativity, “If you have a dream and a passion, if you are driven and work hard, then the sky’s the limit. Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”

Solace Oral Surgery is located at 207 23rd Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37203. More information is on the web at www.solaceoralsurgery.com or call (615) 320-1392.

 

 

 

 

 

 

All-on-4: A Game Changer for Dental Implants (Get a NEW SMILE in ONE DAY)

 

 

            All-on-4: A Game Changer for Dental Implants (Get a New Smile in ONE DAY)

 

Losing your teeth can be a horrible thing to go through and can really affect your self-esteem. You’ll worry about how you look, and you could have trouble eating and speaking. All of these things can significantly impact your day to day life.

Anyone who has gone through tooth loss is aware of dentures and implants. Dentures have always seemed to be the cheaper and simpler option, but more patients want something permanent. Implants are the other option, but they entail oral surgery that can be expensive and require recovery time. Most patients need multiple surgeries to complete the implantation process.

But there is good news for edentulous, those with missing teeth, and soon-to-be edentulous, patients. It is called All-on-4. This is the latest breakthrough in oral implant surgery and is sure to become a popular alternative to dentures and regular implants.

What is the All-on-4?

Most implants require multiple oral surgeries before being complete. That means more expense and more recovery time for the patient. During the All-on-4 surgery, fixed implants are placed at one time, requiring only one surgery, allowing for quicker recovery while being much more cost-effective for the patient.

How it Works

The All-on-4 system consists of 4 fixed-arch implants. Most other implants require more. By only needing 4 implants per arch, the surgery is quicker and cheaper than getting regular implants. For this procedure, an oral surgeon inserts the implants at an angle. By doing this, the implant can be supported by the bone. This is in stark contrast to other implants which require drilling into the bone for the implants to be supported. Lastly, the All-on-4 surgery generally takes less time to complete than other implant procedures. This helps cut down on patient discomfort and cost.

Benefits of All-on-4 Implants

The All-on-4 implants have many advantages over dentures and other implants, such as:

·         You don’t have to take them out

·         They function like natural teeth

·         They’re comfortable for patients

·         There’s no need for messy adhesives

Patients have expressed how much they love their All-on-4 implants almost immediately, and there are several reasons why. The procedure gives patients their smile back, letting them keep their self-confidence. The implants are immediately functional, so patients can get back to their busy lives sooner. Patients also don’t have to worry about their talking, as the implants are solid and do not interrupt speech.

Having a winning smile makes you feel better about yourself. And feeling good about yourself is good for you. So if you are interested in replacing your dentures or know you will need implants or dentures soon, contact to Solace Oral Surgery in Nashville, TN about the All-on-4 implant procedure to see if it would be a good option for you.

Take Back Your Smile with Dental Implants

                                  Take Back Your Smile with Dental Implants

While dental implants date back to around 600 A.D., modern implants have been around only since the 1970s. Unlike ancient times, when people made dental implants from jade, stones, and even seashells, modern implants are nearly indiscernible from real teeth. Dental implants replace missing teeth and stabilize the jawbone.

                                                                                                     

How Dental Implants Have Evolved

When dental implants first became popular, they were for people who had lost most of their teeth. When you lose teeth, the structural integrity of the jaw begins to deteriorate. People who wear dentures often have trouble getting them to stay in place if they've lost strength in their jaw. The implants are fused to the jawbone surgically, acting like an "anchor" for replacement teeth.

 In the 1970s, oral surgeons used these anchors to stabilize the jaw to accept dentures. But now, implants can negate the need for dentures altogether. Oral surgeons fuse the implants to the jawbone and attach the replacement teeth to the anchors. The teeth are strong and secure, and there is no need to take them out at night for cleaning. Implants can replace one tooth or all of them!

 The Dental Implant Process

Dental implants are done in three steps, which require three separate visits to your oral surgeon. The whole process takes six months to a year. The first step is to place the implant into your jawbone with surgery. The implant acts like a natural root of your tooth, and need to be covered for three to six months to fuse to the jawbone.

After that time, your surgeon will attach a post to the implant, which will eventually serve at the frame for your replacement tooth. You will then need to let your gums heal for a few months before proceeding to the final step. Once your gums have healed, your oral surgeon will attach your new replacement tooth to the post and you will have your own beautiful smile back.

 

Are Dental Implants Right for Me?

While implants are very strong and damage resistant, they are not indestructible. It's not uncommon for implants to fail because the patient doesn't take good care of his or her teeth. People who smoke or grind their teeth run the risk of damaging their implants. Some preexisting health conditions, including diabetes and osteoporosis, can increase the risk for implant failure. Your oral surgeon will tell you if implants are right for you.

 

Want to learn more about dental implants? Visit the Solace Oral Surgery site to find out about our services.