Making the decision to replace your missing teeth, and selecting the tooth replacement solution that is most similar to your natural teeth can reinvigorate your social life. The embarrassing spaces left by missing teeth and the awkwardness of smiling in public will soon be forgotten. Instead, patients who choose dental implants can smile openly, chew effortlessly, and restore their lost confidence.

Dental implants are permanent substitutes for your natural teeth. Their design includes all of the anatomical details of real teeth: a tooth root and a functional biting surface. During the early phases of the procedure, the underlying jaw bone becomes permanently fused with the artificial tooth root fixture. This interaction, known as osseointgration, creates a sturdy anchor that can support normal biting and chewing.

Once the artificial tooth root fixture has been successfully implanted, a customized biting surface can be created to complete your smile. This may be in the form of a dental crown, and abutment for a dental bridge, or an attachment for a denture, depending on your needs or final desired outcome.

Your dental implants should be viewed as a long-term investment. With proper care, you can enjoy a lifetime of confident smiling. You can look forward to chewing the foods that you prefer, including meats and fruits. Implants are also a proven method for retaining the structure of your jaw bone and facial profile. In contrast to other tooth replacements that only function above the gumline, your implants will work actively around the clock to stimulate your bone and protect your oral health and facial proportions.

Drs. Steven Koos and Brian Shah, your oral and maxillofacial surgeons serving Chicago Illinois, are experienced in all of the intricacies of dental implant placement. From reviewing your medical history to preparing you for the procedure to communicating with your general dentist, you can be assured that you are in the hands of knowledgeable, skilled and dedicated dental surgery professionals. And, when you are making a decision that will impact your health and the quality of your life, isn’t that just what you want?

Call ORA® Oral Surgery & Implant Studio at 312-328-9000 for your consultation about dental implants in Chicago, Illinois today.

In the event that the root canal procedure cannot effectively resolve the infection, our dual degree oral surgeon serving the Chicago Loop vicinity, can step in to remove the infected portion of the tooth root in order to save your tooth. The surgical procedure known as an apicoectomy, involves the removal of the tooth’s apex as well as any surrounding hard or soft tissue that may have become damaged, infected or if a cyst has developed.

Once the apex has been removed, sometimes a filling is used to seal the root.  The area is usually always grafted in with bone and a membrane is used to cover the bony window that was made for access to the tooth root.   The overlying gum tissue will be sutured together in the final step and all of this is carried out under the comforts of sedation. In a matter of months, the bone will heal around the root and a follow-up visit will be scheduled to monitor the healing process.

Generally, an apicoectomy is not the solution of choice when the tooth has been root canal has bee re-treated, or when the tooth root is fractured. It is an appropriate “final attempt” which can be an effective method of preserving your natural teeth that are already facing the possibility of extraction, although the success rates are only moderate.

All surgical procedures are unique, and the prognosis for the outcome of the procedure must be determined on an individual basis. In most cases, an apicoectomy is only recommended when there is a reasonable expectation that the tooth can be saved. Long term success, approximately 10 years, can be achieved in select cases.  Some statistics demonstrate as high as about 85% of apicoectomy procedures are successful long-term, while others show the success rate as low as 25%.  With the help of advanced dental technology, the success rate is often higher than average and the recovery period is more favorable.

To find out if an apicoectomy is necessary to save your tooth, contact ORA® Oral Surgery & Implant Studio at 312-328-9000 today for an evaluation.

I had three of my wisdom teeth removed yesterday (my fourth one never formed). That was the first time I was under the general anesthesia so I was a little nervous.

The nurse (I am really bad with remembering names and I couldn’t find her name on the ORA website) was really nice and made me feel comfortable from the moment she came for me into the waiting room. She obviously knew what she was doing and was ready to answer all my questions. I had only two, but still…

The real HERO of yesterday was Dr. Koos. He came to explain the procedure and I felt like I am talking with a good friend, although that was the first time I saw him.
I cannot write about the procedure itself because I just took a nice nap and woke up when it was over. Dr. Koos was in the room and explained how everything went; he also followed up with a phone call last night.

I didn’t respond well to painkillers (I sometimes get nausea just from taking vitamins so it was not a big surprise to me). I took only one pill after surgery and decided to “deal with the pain” afterwards. I was able to sleep through the night and the pain is minimal. That just shows how good of a sergeon Dr Koos is! (Please, don’t understand me wrong I recommend to follow Dr Koos instructions and take all the painkillers he prescribes for maximum comfort.)

To sum up, Dr Koos is incredible! Professional, down to earth, with amazing bedside manners… I highly recommend ORA dental.

To best position you for a successful implant, Dr. Steven Koos, your implant dentist serving Downtown Chicago, will need to assess the proposed location for your replacement tooth. If the quality or quantity of the bone structure is deemed inadequate, the implant may fail to heal properly if bone grafting is not done due to a lack of vertical support. Fortunately, this determination does not necessarily prevent you from enjoying a healthy dental implant. Instead, additional procedures may be recommended to provide increased support for the new tooth.

As it related to the actual sinus cavity, a sinus lift can only be performed in the upper jaw. A sinus lift is never relevant when an implant is used to replace a missing lower tooth. When an upper tooth needs to be replaced with a dental implant, the location of the floor of the sinus cavity should be verified with the use of advanced 3D dental x-rays. If roots of the upper teeth tend to extend towards and into the sinus, then it is reasonable to expect that the proposed dental implant will also extend into the same area.

To prepare the bone in the vicinity of the sinus, your implant dentist will carefully make a small window in the bony wall of the sinus and raise or “lift” the floor of the sinus membrane.  The new space will then be filled with natural or artificial bone and be permitted to heal. With the additional vertical bone depth, the implant can be expected to heal properly with support throughout its length and serve you well for many years.

There are a number of available procedures designed to improve the success of your dental implant. Since every procedure is not recommended in every instance, trust Dr. Koos to select the procedures that are best for you. Start by calling ORA® Oral Surgery & Implant Studio in Chicago, Illinois to schedule your consultation to discuss dental implants today.

Long story short, Dr. Koos let me listen to Bohemian Rhapsody while they knocked me out with nitrous and twilight anesthesia and he was done in 20 minutes.. my boyfriend even brought his video camera in hopes of catching me acting a fool after the surgery, but no dice. I was totally fine (& I’m not AS terrified of the dentist anymore). Best ever experience with a medical professional, highly recommended.

Depending upon the type of sedation and the level of sedation that you receive, it is possible that you will have little or no memory of the procedure.   Aside from general anesthesia, which most patients choose, most other forms of sedation can be highly effective at promoting a deep level of relaxation. During your initial consultation and health history review, the appropriate form of sedation will be recommended for you. When nitrous oxide, along with intravenous sedation is administered, patients find themselves so relaxed that they indeed fall asleep.   Imagine that, taking a restful nap while having procedures carried out in your mouth!

Whether you are asleep or awake during your scheduled procedure, it is common to remember very little about your dental visit. You may drift in and out of sleep or simply not feel inclined to pay attention during the treatment. There are a host of other advantages to sedation dentistry:

• Greater degree of relaxation and comfort
• Subdued gag reflex
• Ability to tolerate longer or more complex dental visits
• Reduced restlessness during procedures
• Safe, fast onset
• Can be customized according to individual needs
• Elimination of stress, anxiety and fear

In light of the fact that most patients have little or no memory of their dental procedure, your sedation dentist in downtown Chicago will review the details of the visit prior to administering any medication. All treatment recommendations, alternatives, and risks will be thoroughly reviewed. Written and detailed instructions will also be provided to you or a responsible adult companion.

Today, there are a number of sedative options that can make oral surgery procedures virtually painless. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons are the only specialists to receive extensive training in all aspects of anesthesia administration. As surgical specialists in the dental field, their level of expertise enables them to select the option that is best for you. For a detailed professional consultation regarding sedation dentistry, call the downtown Chicago office of Drs. Steven Koos and Brian Shah at 312-328-9000 for your appointment today.

Online PR News – 12-April-2012 –Chicago, IL – Dr. Steven Koos, owner of ORA® Oral Surgery & Implant Studio, a practice specializing in oral and jaw surgery in the Chicago Loop neighborhood of Chicago IL, is among a group of oral and maxillofacial surgeons nationwide that are promoting National Facial Protection Month this April. This promotional campaign is sponsored by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Association of Orthodontists on a national level, with more localized promotion by regional oral surgeons such as Dr. Koos, as well as other dental professionals.

The primary focus of Facial Protection Month is to make more people aware of the dangers that can result from not wearing helmets and mouthguards while engaged in sports-related activities. Injuries sustained when this protective gear is not worn can result in issues that send children and adults alike to emergency rooms or straight to the offices of oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Some of the most common injuries result in the need for these surgeons to provide treatment of facial bone trauma (such as treating broken noses – nasal bone fractures, broken cheek bones – zygomatic fractures, facial fractures –LeFort fractures, broken jaws – mandible fractures), facial soft tissue trauma treatment (such as lacerated tongues and lacerated lips) and dental trauma treatment (such as treating broken teeth, avulsed teeth, displaced teeth).

Dr. Koos is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon that is regularly called upon to perform facial trauma repair and oral surgery in Downtown Chicago due to injuries sustained while patients are engaged in sports without the proper protective gear for their head and face. “Many people think that they’re immune to the types of serious injuries that people warn them about if they don’t wear a helmet or mouthguard,” explains Dr. Koos. “They take an ‘it’s not going to happen to me’ attitude. Unfortunately, there’s no predicting when an injury is going to occur and who it will affect. Oftentimes the results of an injury are even more devastating when you realize that the injury could’ve easily been prevented. I completely endorse a proactive injury prevention approach. Traumatic injuries occur in an instant, but can be devastating and take weeks to months to heal.”

The statistics on the effectiveness of an effort as simple as wearing a mouthguard or helmet are hard to ignore, and it is up to oral surgeons in Chicago such as Dr. Koos, as well as medical and dental professionals nationwide, to spread the word and make people more aware of the effectiveness of this protective gear. And, there’s certainly good reason to heed the advice being promoted by Chicago oral surgeons and others across the nation. The American Dental Association estimates that mouthguard usage can prevent over 200,000 oral injuries per year, while the National Youth Sports Foundation for Safety claims that athletes are sixty times more likely to sustain tooth damage when protective mouthguards are not worn. Unfortunately, however, only about a third of children engaged in organized sports wear mouthguards and only about a third of those that wear mouthguards in games will also utilize them during practice. Yet, over 60% of sports-related injuries happen during practices.

When it comes to helmet usage, a properly fitted helmet is estimated to prevent up to 45,000 head injuries and up to 55,000 facial injuries per year from bicycle accidents alone, according to Safe Kids USA. And wearing bicycle helmets can reduce the risk of head and brain injury by almost 90%. In addition to promoting the usage of helmets, medical and dental professionals are providing information to the public about the proper way to wear a helmet, including sizing, the fit of chin straps, and more.

While Dr. Koos’ focus tends towards promoting the importance of mouthguards and face protecting shields in contact sports, since those are the primary injuries he comes into contact with as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, he also makes sure to remind parents and kids alike how important it is to wear a good-fitting helmet. Even when it comes to mouthguard usage, the Chicago Illinois jaw & oral surgeon explains the importance of a proper fit. He explains that the most effective and comfortable mouthguards are custom-made to fit well over all teeth and cover gums, while allowing for normal breathing and speech. Store-bought “boil and bite” mouthguards do not offer the same level of protection or comfort, he further explains, although they are preferable to wearing nothing at all. Interestingly, custom performance mouth guards also have scientific research behind them demonstrating improvements in endurance, speed and strength.

“This spring, I will be sure to remind patients that visit my office about the importance of facial protection when engaging in sports,” says Dr. Koos. “While it seems like it should be common sense, the statistics show that it is an uphill battle to keep these kids as safe as possible, but we’re working on changing those statistics the best that we can.”

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Dr. Steven Koos is an oral, maxillofacial and jaw surgeon serving Cook County Chicago and is owner of ORA® Oral Surgery & Implant Studio. The Chicago Loop oral surgeon is committed to educating the public about the importance of facial protection during sporting activities and is proudly promoting the information put forth by national dental, orthodontic and oral surgery organizations during the month of April for Facial Protection Month. For more information about how you can prevent facial, oral or dental trauma through the use of properly fitting mouthguards and helmets, or to find out more about Dr. Koos and his Chicago oral surgery practice, visit http://orasurgery.com.

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Now, while I was out for the cavemen practices, the rest of the experience was wonderful. You walk into Ora and it feels like a spa. My husband and i just bought a new house and I was actually getting tiling ideas from the place. The consultation with Dr. Koos put me at ease, and the day of surgery, he and his staff quickly calmed me down. SItting in the OR (which had great natural-type lighting overhead, covered with a photo of trees so you felt like you were looking up at a sky light), a nurse came in to talk to me and asked me what music I liked. They had Tom Petty on the iPod. Lots of points. Dr. Koos came in and joked with me a bit, explained what he was doing and then I woke up again. I don’t remember falling asleep. We were talking and then I was awake. The extraction itself only took about 25 minutes. They led me to a nice recovery room where I met my husband, and they told him about after-care as I was still sort of loopy. The first few hours were a bit painful, but nothing like what I’d expected. They even have a back door to loopy people to exit, so you don’t have a whole waiting room watching you drool blood.

Today is the only the day after, and the meds are taking the edge off, and I have really minimal swelling. Dr. Koos will make a pretty awful experience stress-free. He was wonderful.

EDIT: I ended up developing an infection three days after surgery and was in such extreme pain. I also had a reaction to the Vicodin. My husband called Dr Koos and he got me that day to clean out the area and help out. After that, we heard from him each day to make sure I was on the mend. Awesome, awesome.

If you compare the design of the natural teeth to that of a traditional denture, it quickly becomes evident that the denture falls short in a several key areas. That’s why patients who wear dentures in Chicago are choosing dental implants to resolve those discrepancies as well as the stigma and discomfort that a set of unanchored false teeth brings.

Without anchoring to the jaw bone like a natural tooth root, a denture is essentially an appliance that relies on soft gum tissue for support. Floating on top of such an unstable foundation presents a major challenge for denture wearers. Typically, even with the help of denture adhesives and pastes, keeping a denture in place can begin to consume all of your waking hours and can severely restrict your diet.

To eliminate the dilemma, our oral and maxillofacial surgeon can utilize a few strategically placed dental implants to retain (anchor) your denture.

Right away, you’ll notice that there will never again be a need to purchase denture pastes or adhesive products. That’s because the implants work together with your jaw bone to create a strong and permanent foundation for your denture teeth. The implants are resistant to the bone loss that would occur in the absence of a tooth root, therefore their positions remain constant even after years of daily use.

Next, you’ll notice that a new level of self-confidence will begin to emerge. That’s because you can enjoy eating, speaking, and smiling without the embarrassment of an ill-fitting denture. Living with the fear that your denture will slip, click, or otherwise be publicly revealed isn’t really living at all!

The substantial support that dental implants provide can transform your denture from a “plate” into a comfortable and efficient set of teeth.

To learn more about what dental implants can do for your denture in Chicago Illinois, call ORA® Oral Surgery & Implant Studio for a well needed soulution.