Tooth Extractions in Romeoville, IL

Tooth extractions can be painful, and it’s important to realize how to take care of the extraction site afterward to promote healing and avoid complications such as dry sockets. After a tooth extraction, it’s important to maintain healthy dental practices, but extra care is required. 

Brush Gently

Do not forgo your everyday oral hygiene habits, such as brushing and flossing, even if you’ve just had a tooth extracted. However, it is important to brush gently and use care, especially in the areas close to the extraction. To be safe, avoid brushing or rinsing your mouth in the first 24 hours after the tooth extraction procedure. Afterward, brush with care, and don’t get close to the extraction site with the toothbrush. Also, don’t swish water, mouthwash, or any oral care fluid in your mouth. Instead, just lower your mouth and let water or mouthwash pour out.

What Else Do I Need To Do After A Tooth Extraction

Beyond brushing with care, there are a number of other things you can do to help yourself heal quickly and avoid pain and complications after a tooth extraction. 

Choose Soft Foods

Stick with easy-to-chew foods for the first few days following your tooth extraction. On the first day after surgery stick to foods such as: 

• Yogurt
• Pudding
• Jell-O
• Ice cream
• Applesauce

After the first day, you can try a wider variety of foods, such as:

• Mashed potatoes
• Mashed sweet potatoes
• Scrambled eggs
• Oatmeal
• Pancakes
• Broth-based soups

Avoid eating chewy or sticky foods during the first 4-5 days after the extraction, as these can get stuck in the socket left after the tooth is surgically removed. Also, sticky or chewy foods can attach to the clot in the extraction site, and these will remove the clot.

Chew Wisely

How you eat your food is also important, and you should try to only chew on the opposite side of your mouth from the extracted tooth. Also avoid using straws after an extraction, because the suction of the straw could dislodge the blood clot and lengthen your recovery time. 

Follow Your Dentist’s Instructions

After a tooth extraction, it’s important to follow your dentist’s, or oral surgeon’s, instructions. These usually include taking pain medication and antibiotics and making follow-up appointments to ensure you’re healing and that there are no complications.

Having a tooth extracted is a common procedure that many people will experience. Knowing how to care for your extraction site can speed up the recovery process and avoid complications such as dry sockets. If you have any questions about tooth extractions, please call our office at 815-886-0875. 

CEREC Dental Technology

Having damaged teeth is difficult, but sometimes going to the dentist can be even more difficult. Especially when they have to make messy impressions, the turnaround time is weeks and leaves you vulnerable in the meantime. Luckily enough at Romeoville Dental Center, our procedures for crowns require no messy impressions and allow you to be in and out in one visit thanks to the Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramic (CEREC).

What is CEREC?

CEREC is a method of dental restoration that can be performed in-house at the clinic. It is used to repair damage to your teeth from decay or injury. Your restorations are designed using a CAD/CAM (computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing). This method allows it to make impressions and then that information goes to another unit where it fabricates ceramic restoration of the teeth.

Advantages of CEREC

The CEREC system has shown positive impacts that are easier, faster, and more affordable than other methods. The biggest advantage of CEREC is that the restoration process can be completed in one visit. Scheduling multiple visits can be a pain, so being able to get it all done in one go is great! Having a solution that can do a restoration in a single appointment also takes away the stress of having to find temporary solutions, which could later cause other problems like pain, tenderness, and swelling. Another advantage is that the CAD/CAM systems impressions are typically very accurate and allow dental professionals to have more control in the process due to the precision of the CAD/CAM system.

How Long Do CEREC Crowns Last?

The lifespan of CEREC crowns, either for your natural teeth or dental implant, depends on a variety of factors such as the patient’s oral hygiene, however, a long-term study showed that more than 85% of CEREC implants last 10 years or more. With good care, CEREC crowns can last up to 20 years. To extend the lifetime of your implants you should take extra precautions like wearing a custom night guard if you grind your teeth or wearing a mouth guard if you are participating in sports.

If you have damaged teeth or other problems that are bothering you, you should contact your dentist. If your situation fits, they may suggest using the CEREC system.

If you have any questions about your damaged teeth, please call our office at 815-886-0875.

Invisalign® revolutionized the way people look at orthodontic treatment. The clear aligner system from Invisalign® made it possible for people to discreetly improve their smiles. While Invisalign® allows people to love the appearance of their smile and avoids many of the discomforts of braces throughout the process, there should be more to consider when choosing orthodontic treatment. You should consider which treatment option will best treat your individual situation. While you should speak with Dr. Patel before making your final decision, we have included issues that Invisalign® can effectively treat.

Crooked Teeth

Invisalign® is very effective at treating crooked teeth. Clear aligners offer a great solution for people to align their teeth and love their smiles.

Overbite & Underbite

Invisalign® can be used to treat both an overbite and an underbite. An overbite is when the top front teeth extend beyond the bottom of your bottom front teeth. An underbite is when the lower jaw rests in front of the top jaw when the mouth is closed. Invisalign® can be used to move either the top or bottom teeth into the right place so that they align properly with the mouth closed.

Crossbite

A crossbite occurs when teeth don’t line up properly with the mouth closed. This could be the top teeth in the back of your mouth resting inside your bottom teeth or could be one or more of your top front teeth resting behind your bottom front teeth. Invisalign® can move teeth into the proper positions and treat a crossbite.

Gaps in Teeth & Crowded Teeth

These opposite issues can both be treated by Invisalign®. Gaps in teeth occur when there are large spaces between teeth. Crowded teeth happen when there is not enough room in the jaw for all of the teeth, often causing them to overlap or twist. Crowded teeth can make it easy for food to get stuck or plaque to build up, and should be addressed to keep optimal oral health.

Limitations of Invisalign®

While Invisalign® is an excellent option for many orthodontic issues, it does have its limitations. There are times when it may be best to go with braces. For severe orthodontic issues and intrusion and extrusion, braces often offer the force that is needed. It’s also important to note that Invisalign® continues to get better and better. We can now treat more complex orthodontic situations than we could even a few years ago. If you think Invisalign® is the right treatment option for you, contact our office.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Dental Implants?

One of the hottest topics in dentistry today is the use of dental implants. Implants have certainly revolutionized the field of replacement teeth. If you are considering tooth implants for missing teeth, you need to know the facts. There are pros and cons of dental implants that are carefully weighed by your dentist before surgery can be scheduled.

Research continually shows that dental implants are the best long term solution to replace missing teeth. However, like any type of surgery, there are advantages and disadvantages.

Cons of Dental Implants

No procedure is right for everyone, including dental implants. While there are some risks associated with dental implants, they are relatively mild. The disadvantages include:

You have to meet a set of requirements

In order to have dental implant surgery, you first have to meet certain criteria. As the procedure involves anchoring the implant to your jaw bone, if you’ve experienced significant bone loss as a result of losing teeth, there may not be enough for the dental implant to be successful. You also have to be in good health so your jaw bone can fully recover.

The cost of the procedure

While dental implants are the best long term solution for tooth loss, they’re not always the most cost effective. However, dental implants are well worth the price for the comfort, confidence and natural feel they give you.

The procedure can be lengthy

Dental implants are not a quick fix and can take several months to complete. If you’re replacing an existing damaged tooth, this will first need to be removed. Your dentist will then need to prepare the tooth site before fitting the implant anchor. Once the anchor has been fitted, you’ll need to wait several months while it heals and the surrounding bone grows. The final stage of the procedure involves placing the artificial tooth.

Pros of Dental Implants

While there are some drawbacks to dental implants, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

They look and feel like natural teeth

Dental implants have the appearance of real teeth. In fact, once your implant has been fitted, you’ll hardly be able to tell the difference between your replacement tooth and your real teeth. Implants also won’t feel any different from your regular teeth. Since the implants are anchored to your jaw, they’ll feel just as strong as your regular teeth too.

You can eat and chew with ease

Unlike dentures, implants won’t feel any different than your regular teeth when eating and chewing. Once the dental implant procedure is complete, you can eat what you want! Whether you fancy crunchy snacks, chewy foods, or hot or cold drinks, you can eat and drink without concern — just remember not to overdo the sugary treats.

Dental implants can last a lifetime

Implants are a long-lasting tooth replacement solution. You may need to replace the crowns every 10-15 years, but if you look after the implants, they can last a lifetime.

They’re easy to take care of

You should take care of your implants the same way you would take care of your regular teeth with daily brushing and flossing, regular dental checkups and a healthy diet.

They prevent bone loss

Dental implants are anchored into your jaw, similar to your real teeth. The screw thread of the implant acts as the root of a natural tooth, so with dental implants, your jaw bone remains strong and you won’t experience bone loss.

You can see that the advantages heavily outweigh the disadvantages. Dental implants have been proven to be a great option for people who suffer from tooth loss. We always want to make our patients look and feel great, and dental implants is a great way to do that. We’re always happy to answer any questions you may have, so give us a call!