11 - 2019 - Owings Mills Dentistry

Dental implants are a great way to restore your smile and replace missing teeth. Implants can be used to replace single tooth or multiple teeth using several strategically placed restorations. Implants are durable and long-lasting, with most patients having their implants for decades without showing signs of wear. The procedure to place your new dental implants involves creating an incision through the gums and inserting the post of the titanium implant deep into the jawbone. Over the course of just several months, the implant will actually bond with the bone and become a permanent part of your smile.

Is Coffee Okay After Implant Surgery?

After implant surgery, your gums are healing from having an incision made through them. It is vitally important that you avoid drinking hot coffee, tea or hot chocolate after the procedure itself for up to two or three days. The heat of the coffee can cause increased bleeding, which could be a problem for the surgical site and its ability to heal. If you must have your morning cup of Joe, be sure to let it cool down significantly before you drink any of it. The same can be said about hot foods like soups, broths or potatoes.

How to Care for Your New Implants

The best way to care for your new dental implants is to keep your mouth clean and to avoid hard, crunchy or sticky foods. It’s often recommended to stick to a soft food diet for about two weeks following surgery. This gives the gums more than enough time to heal and to prevent the implant from becoming dislodged. Some of the foods that you’ll want to avoid immediately following dental implant placement include:

Hard, crusty breads
Hot coffee, teas and soups
Popcorn, chips and hard pretzels
Gummy or sticky candy
Hard fruits and veggies

Some minor pain and swelling are normal after implant surgery. This is to be expected, as it is your body’s way of reacting to the incision and work that has been done. However, if you experience severe pain and swelling following surgery or weeks after an implant was placed, it is important to be right away for any post-operative complications. For the most part, the majority of patients who come in for dental implants experience no problems and can go back to eating and drinking their favorite things in no time.

If you’d like to learn more about how to care for dental implants, call us today to talk to one of our professional team members.

Sleep apnea is a condition that affects the way that you breathe throughout the night. While you sleep, the soft tissues at the back of your throat actually begin to loosen and close over the upper airway. This causes loud snoring as well as constant cessations in your breathing. Because you’re not breathing properly, your body automatically wakes up regularly throughout the night so that you can essentially catch your breath. Treatment of sleep apnea can eliminate these symptoms by opening the upper airway.

Why Do You Need to Treat Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea symptoms can have an impact on virtually every aspect of your life. Because you’re not getting a full night of deep rest, you may feel exhausted throughout the day. It might be hard to keep up with your family, children and even your career. Over time, you’ll find that you’re more irritable and moody, and you’re more likely to develop other medical problems as a result of a lack of rejuvenating sleep. This is why it is important to consider treating your sleep apnea as soon as possible. While many patients with more severe or serious sleep apnea symptoms need a CPAP machine, more mild cases can benefit from a simple oral appliance worn each night.

What is the Best Treatment for Mild Sleep Apnea?

For mild sleep apnea, an oral appliance that is worn nightly can be incredibly effective. This device works by opening the airway, preventing the soft tissue from essentially falling over this area. The device is comfortable, custom made to fit the patient perfectly and durable. In fact, you’ll find that your sleep apnea oral appliance lasts for years before it’ll need to be replaced. Furthermore, you’re able to treat the condition and improve your quality of life.

The way that this appliance is made is by taking impressions of your mouth. These detailed impressions will be used to make the appliance itself. We fit the device to you and adjust any areas that may be uncomfortable. You will then wear the device every single night in order for it to effectively treat your sleep apnea. By treating mild sleep apnea, symptoms are less likely to get worse and you will be able to get through your day without feeling exhausted and lethargic.

If you have sleep apnea and want to discuss treatment options, call us today to speak with one of our knowledgeable staff members.