Oral Surgeon in Lakewood, WA
If you have ever spent a breezy afternoon at American Lake or walked the trails at Fort Steilacoom Park, you know that Lakewood is a place where people love to stay active and social. But it is hard to stay social when you are worried about a missing tooth or a denture that slips while you are eating at a local spot like the Moon Rise Cafe. We hear from neighbors in Oakbrook and Tillicum all the time who are looking for a permanent fix. That is where a dental implant periodontist comes in. If you are looking for a dentist who can rebuild your smile from the ground up, you want someone who really understands the bone and gums that hold everything together.
What We Offer
✔ Bone Grafting for Dental Implants
A lot of people think they can’t get new teeth because they have been missing their natural ones for a long time. When you lose a tooth, the bone starts to shrink away. Bone Grafting for dental implants is how we fix that. We add a little bit of new bone material to the area to make it thick and strong again. It’s a very common way to make sure there is plenty of room for the implant to sit safely. We do this right here in our office so you don’t have to drive all over Pierce County.
✔ Socket Preservation
If you have a tooth that needs to come out today, you should ask about Socket Preservation. When we pull a tooth, it leaves a hole in the bone. If we just leave it alone, the bone around that hole can collapse pretty fast. We put a little bit of bone material into the empty spot right away. This keeps the shape of your jaw looking normal and makes it much easier to put an implant in later on. It’s a smart move that saves you a lot of headache down the road.
✔ Ridge Preservation and Augmentation
Your “ridge” is just the name for the bony hump that holds your teeth. If you have been wearing dentures for a long time, that ridge might have flattened out. Ridge Preservation and Augmentation is a way we build that ridge back up. We use special techniques to make the bone wider or taller so your face doesn’t look “sunken in.” This is great for people who want to move from loose dentures to something that actually stays in place.
✔ Horizontal Bone Augmentation
Sometimes the bone is tall enough, but it is just too skinny. Horizontal Bone Augmentation is what we do when we need to make the bone wider. It is like widening a narrow driveway so a bigger car can fit. By making the bone wider, we can use a stronger implant that can handle the pressure of you chewing on a steak or a crunchy apple.
✔ Vertical Bone Augmentation
This is a bit more complex, but it is very helpful for people who have lost a lot of bone height. Vertical Bone Augmentation involves growing the bone upwards. It takes a little more time to heal, but it is the best way to make sure the implant is deep enough in the jaw. This helps prevent the implant from showing through the gums later on.
✔ Ridge Split with Implant Placement
In some cases, if the bone is narrow but healthy, we can do a Ridge Split with Implant Placement. Instead of adding bone and waiting months, we gently expand the bone and put the implant in at the same time. This can save you a lot of visits and get you your new smile much faster. It is a very clever way to use the bone you already have.
✔ Autogenous Bone Grafting
If you want the absolute best results, Autogenous Bone Grafting is a great choice. This is where we use a little bit of your own bone from another part of your mouth. Because it is your own tissue, your body accepts it very fast. It is like the “gold standard” for growing new bone because it contains your own living cells that help you heal.
✔ Allograft and Xenograft bone grafting
Not everyone wants to use their own bone, and that is totally fine. Allograft and Xenograft bone grafting uses safe, sterile bone from a lab or other sources. These materials are very high quality and work like a trellis for a vine—they give your own bone a place to grow into. It’s a very simple process and means we don’t have to make a second surgical spot in your mouth.
✔ Sinus Lift Surgery
If you need teeth in the back of your top jaw, your sinuses might be in the way. Sinus Lift Surgery is very common for our patients who have been missing back teeth for a while. We gently lift the floor of the sinus and put bone underneath it. This creates a thick “floor” so we can place an implant without bothering your sinuses. It actually helps a lot of people breathe better too!
✔ Simultaneous Sinus Lift and Implant Placement
If you have just enough bone to hold an implant still, we can do a Simultaneous Sinus Lift and Implant Placement. This is great because we do the lift and the implant in one single appointment. It cuts your total treatment time down by months. We love doing this for our busy patients who work near JBLM or commute into Tacoma.
✔ Staged Sinus Lift
For folks with very thin bone, a Staged Sinus Lift is the safer way to go. We do the lift first and let the bone get nice and hard for a few months. Once the new bone is ready, we come back and put the implant in. It takes a little longer, but it makes sure the implant won’t fail. We don’t like to take risks with your smile.
✔ Platelet-Rich fibrin (PRF) therapy
To help you heal as fast as possible, we use Platelet-Rich fibrin (PRF) therapy. We take a tiny bit of your blood, spin it in a machine, and get a concentrated “plug” of your own healing cells. We put this over the surgery spot. It’s like a super-powered band-aid that tells your body to fix the area fast. It reduces pain and swelling, which our Lakewood patients really appreciate.
A Local Lakewood Dentist Who Cares
Choosing a Dentist in Lakewood shouldn’t feel like a chore. We want our office to be a place where you feel relaxed. We know that many people have “dental anxiety” because of a bad experience they had when they were kids. That is why we use a gentle touch and explain everything we are doing. We even have ways to help you relax if you are really nervous about the chair.
We are proud to serve our local community. Whether you’re a soldier from JBLM, a teacher at Clover Park, or a retired neighbor enjoying life near Steilacoom, we are here for you. We don’t use a bunch of confusing medical jargon. We just tell you the truth about your teeth and help you find a way to fix them that works for you.
If you’ve been putting off a visit because you’re worried about what the dentist will say, please don’t be. We’ve seen it all and we are just happy to help you start fresh. A healthy mouth can change your whole outlook on life, and it starts with just one phone call.