When a Plan B is Necessary for Your Dental Implant Procedure

You’ve heard that dental implants are a secure, long-lasting tooth replacement. You’re ready

to proceed but…there’s one problem!

It has to do with a primary aspect of your implant treatment.

Your jawbone.

Reasons could include gum disease, bone loss, or other related issues. Bottom line, a dental

implant requires adequate bone to securely anchor it.

No worries. There’s a Plan B.

A bone graft can be used to add supportive bone to your jaw. The bone tissue that’s used

adapts and attaches to your jawbone forming a solid location for your implant.

You can use that?

What’s ironic is where the bone tissue can be found and what the procedure accomplishes.

Bone can be used from a number of locations in your own body.

Your chin or another back portion of your lower jaw are often sources of bone tissue for a

graft. If you cannot personally contribute bone or choose not to do so, bone can be taken

from a human cadaver, cows, and in some instances we can use synthetic resources.

What to expect

Your bone grafting procedure can be done in our dental office using local anesthesia for

single tooth implants. Multiple implants and the use of a larger amount of bone tissue for

the graft can require an off-site procedure.

We will help assure your comfort during the procedure. Bone will be extracted from the

designated location (chin or jaw) and secured into the location where bone tissue is needed

for your dental implant.

Some important details

It is essential that your bone graft area be allowed to fuse with your available tissue. This

healing period of approximately six months prior to implant placement will also improve the

success of your dental implant.

Pain medication can be prescribed to you following the procedure. An antibacterial solution

such as a mouthwash also helps assure the area heals properly.

Contact our Wayne dental office about dental implant treatment for your tooth loss.

Schedule an examination to ask questions about the implant procedure and determine the

health of your bone tissue.

What Teeth Bonding Does and Where It Can Help You the Most

Some things are less complicated than you might have imagined. Restorative or reconstructive dentistry for example.

Veneers get top billing because the aesthetic benefits are outstanding. Yet teeth bonding is an equally beneficial treatment that’s simple plus cost-effective.

An easy assumption

You can evaluate your smile appearance with a variety of measurements. Whiteness and alignment are popular choices.

Your oral health is certainly an all-important measure. It’s essential that your teeth are straight and aligned. That said, it would be risky to focus solely on the appearance of your teeth and miss the value of proper alignment. Your dental health relies on a variety of factors including your satisfaction with the appearance of your teeth.

It helps to have options

Teeth bonding or dental bonding is a versatile treatment. Speaking of appearance and comprehensive oral health, it provides a benefit for both.

Bonding basically repairs your teeth that are chipped, stained, or cracked. Like veneers, dental bonding can also restore your gaped teeth.

The appeal factor of teeth bonding is due to the use of tooth-colored resin. This material is bonded to your tooth enamel to blend with your natural tooth color.

Stains, discoloring, and gaps are covered with the bonding material. The shape of your tooth can also be restored with the treatment.

Teeth bonding costs less than a dental crown or porcelain veneers. Treatment time is simpler and less time consuming as well.

Risk prevention

Your chipped teeth or the unnatural gaps between your teeth can cause problems. These circumstances allow your teeth and gums to be vulnerable to oral bacteria.

Decay can result from bacterial growth on your tooth surfaces. You’re at risk for cavities when bacteria is not eliminated.

Bonding covers the surfaces of your treated teeth. The areas exposed by chips, cracks, gaps, or other damage are protected with the materials used.

The preventive dentistry value plus the time and cost savings give teeth bonding a strong advantage for restoring your health and appearance.

Contact our Wayne dental office about your tooth damage. Schedule a dental examination to discuss teeth bonding for improving the health and appearance of your teeth.

Why It’s Vital to Occasionally Check Under-the-Hood of Your Dental Implant

It’s not like there’s a mileage limit. But dental implant maintenance and check-ups will help assure that you get the most mileage from the treatment.

An implant is a superior solution for tooth loss. Dental implants replace your missing tooth or teeth and they help preserve the health of your bone and gum tissue.

This makes the ongoing viability of your implant essential. A healthy dental implant means proper tooth, gum, and bone function.

Give it a few months

Monitoring the health of your implant is an ongoing process. With that in mind it’s recommended that you allow a period of time for your dental implant to fully adapt to your bone tissue.

This process is known as osseointegration. Your jaw bone establishes a secure bond with your implant over a period of months during this process.

We will inform you about a necessary follow-up timeline early in your treatment. A good time to discuss this is during your post-treatment check-up for healing and suture removal.

Don’t be deceived

Your dental implant will become a natural addition to your existing teeth. Over time you will perhaps not recognize that you had the treatment.

This confirms the effectiveness of an implant as a tooth loss solution.

Remember this…

Out-of-sight-out-of-mind is not a reason to avoid a look-under-the-hood on occasion. Follow-up consistency allows us to check for any bite, alignment, or tissue adaptation problems.

Outcome improvement

Your ongoing gum and bone tissue health is one follow-up focus. The other has to do with the overall health of your crown, denture, or implant supported bridge on the surface portion of your dental implant.

Gum disease, infection, tissue damage can threaten your implant. The artificial aspect of a dental implant is immune but the supportive tissue surrounding it is not.

Keep your tissue and surrounding teeth healthy to improve the success of your implant procedure. Dental examinations and teeth cleanings two times per year are all the more important for protecting your implant investment throughout its lifespan.

Contact your Wayne dentist about dental implant treatment for tooth loss. Schedule a consultation to discuss the implant procedure and maintaining the health of your implant.

The Problems Solved by a Full-Mouth Restoration

A do-over. Perhaps you’ve needed one on occasion.

“Need” is an important word when your dental health is involved. Full-mouth restoration or full-mouth reconstruction (as it’s often called) is a dental specialty that focuses on restoring all your teeth in your upper and lower jaw.

The treatment is most often completed over a period of time. And it’s common for a variety of dental problems.

Want vs. Need

A full-mouth reconstruction falls more into the category of need. Although understanding its value to your overall health can easily provide you the motivation to want the treatment.

Your need for a full-mouth restoration can result from various dental issues. These can include tooth loss caused by decay or trauma, fractured or injured teeth, damage caused by teeth grinding, or ongoing head, neck, or jaw pain caused by a poor or uneven bite.

First things first

Your first step will involve a thorough dental examination. I will examine the presence and extent of any tooth damage, tooth wear, or other signs of dental trauma.

It’s important to observe the health of your teeth and gums. Their relationship to each other and the presence of any disease must be treated for any restorative dentistry to be effective.

Bite correction is also essential. Any reconstructive dentistry that follows will provide you the healthiest outcomes.

It’s also necessary to observe the appearance of your teeth and how they compliment your gums. Color, shade, and alignment are an essential aspect of your full-mouth restoration.

Why prioritize?

Certain treatments may not be necessary. Your initial consolation and dental examination will help determine the best procedures for your restorative treatment plan.

Procedures, cost, and time involved are also important considerations. Again, your need for restorative dentistry is the priority.

Contact our Wayne dental office about your tooth loss, dental trauma, or related oral health issues. Schedule a consultation to discuss a full-mouth restoration to improve your health and appearance.

A Sign That Something’s-Up With Your Dental Implant

You’ve invested time and dollars in your dental implant treatment. It’s delivered everything you had hoped.

Now…

You have a strong, secure, fully functioning new tooth. And you’re equally pleased that your implant isn’t directly vulnerable to decay or disease.

Then one day…

You notice some inflammation around the site of your implant. It’s inflamed enough to get your attention and signal that something isn’t quite right.

First, it’s important that you noticed. Second, it has less to do with your dental implant and perhaps more to do with your natural gum tissue that surrounds it.

Implant infection treatment is your next best step. This procedure helps eliminate the risk of damage to your dental implant and surrounding gum and bone tissue.

An oral infection where your implant is located can lead to more serious dental health issues.

So, why is there an infection?

Food is the common culprit. For example, popcorn kernels and foods containing small seeds can become impacted (lodged) between you implant crown and your gum tissue.

Simple neglect or lack of awareness trigger the gradual progress towards inflammation. If you ignore the inflamed area long enough an infection will occur.

Remember, your dental implant resists infection and decay. Your gums and bone tissue do not.

Plaque and tartar can form beneath the surface edges of your dental crown and your implant. That’s somewhat harmless until the bacteria within the tartar attacks your vulnerable gum tissue.

Oral bacteria are aggressive. They will produce an infection if they are not removed.

Implant infection treatment focuses on the tissue that holds your dental implant. Your gums are cleaned, treated, and disinfected to eliminate the infection.

The procedure also checks for any bone tissue damage. This helps keep your jawbone healthy and your implant secure.

Contact our Wayne dental office about dental implant treatment. Schedule a dental examination if you are experiencing any gum inflammation.

How Porcelain Dental Veneers Provide You a Healthy Confidence Boost

Your dental health can be defined by two things. One, how well your teeth function and two, how your teeth appear.

The combination is of function and appearance is a goal of cosmetic dentistry. Ultimately, your teeth must be healthy or aesthetics will be of less or no benefit to you.

Your smile is among the first thing people notice. That makes it all-important that you’re confident your teeth are healthy.

Confidence boost

Porcelain veneers can deliver a confidence boost. The cosmetic dentistry treatment covers your tooth imperfections.

Your dental health can be threatened by gaps, chips, and stains on your teeth. These conditions also have an impact on your willingness to smile confidently.

Dental veneers are thin porcelain layers. The treatment bonds to the front, visible surfaces of your teeth.

Veneers look natural. They create a long-lasting solution for covering your damaged or unattractive tooth issues.

Porcelain veneers are also stain resistant. They require less tooth preparation prior to treatment, unlike dental bonding and/or dental crowns.

What to expect

Your procedure duration will be determined by the severity of your tooth imperfections. Also, the type of veneers you select can have affect the length of your treatment appointment.

I will examine your teeth. Once I have an understanding of your appearance goals and I can create a specific treatment plan that meets your dental health goals.

During your procedure appointment I will prep the surface of your teeth for the application of your veneers. It’s common for portions of your tooth surface to be removed to help assure that your porcelain veneers fit properly.

A mold of your teeth is obtained as well. It will be sent to our selected dental laboratory where your custom-designed set of veneers will be crafted.

We will notify you when your veneers are available from the lab. An appointment will be scheduled for confirmation of fit and color matching prior to your procedure.

Your new porcelain dental veneers will then be bonded to the surface of your teeth with a special curing process once all necessary adjustments are completed. It’s essential that you protect and care for your dental veneers as you would your natural tooth surfaces.

Maintain the health of your teeth and the appearance of your smile with routine preventive dentistry. This includes at-home care and scheduled dental examinations and teeth cleanings.

Contact our Wayne dental office about your cosmetic dentistry questions and goals. Schedule a consultation to discuss porcelain dental veneers for transforming the appearance of your smile.

A Common Question About Dental Implant Treatment

Next to the treatment itself, it’s perhaps the most common question about dental implants. In a way, the answer increases the treatment’s credibility.

The question: “How long does it take for implants to heal?”

Healing duration indicates yet another plus of dental implants. Implant treatment is more than a cosmetic tweak for your missing or damaged teeth.

The healing period following implant placement will vary. The reason is a key to your implant’s overall effectiveness.

Your bone health will primarily determine the speed and quality of your post-placement healing. Also, factor in any required supportive procedures such as a bone graft.

Two to four months is the typical healing period. During this time your bone tissue is adapting to the implant.

Your bone tissue will heal according to that time frame if you follow post-treatment instructions. The main recommendation is to avoid forceful biting on the treated area.

We are learning more about how your bone tissue adapts to the titanium post (implant). Improving the healing time frame is the goal but generally you should expect the two to four month span to be most effective.

Treat it like a new tooth from root to tip

Your tooth function is restored from top to bottom with a dental implant. The surface portion (crown) will naturally get the most attention post healing.

The dental crown is secured to the top of your implant. This forms the new functional tooth.

It’s essential that you care for your dental implant. Its connection to your bone, gums, and surrounding teeth give you reason to do so as you would your natural teeth.

Your implant will not be vulnerable to cavities since it’s a prosthetic tooth structure. But you will be susceptible to gum inflammation.

Improper care of your dental implant and the surrounding tissue can cause problems. Gum inflammation can lead to an infection and eventually, bone loss if you avoid proper treatment.

Periodontal disease affects your gums. In the same way, a condition known as peri-implantitis can occur in the tissue surrounding your dental implant.

This makes it all-important that you stay consistent with at-home dental care. Brush and floss the areas around your dental implant to maintain healthy tissue.

Also, stay consistent with your routine check-ups, x-rays, and teeth cleanings. We will observe the health of your implant and provide you with techniques for keeping it clean and healthy.

The healing period following implant placement is short by comparison to the lifetime of function you enjoy.

Contact our Wayne dental office about dental implant treatment. Schedule a consultation to discuss your tooth replacement options.

How Dental Crowns Help Support the Lifetime Value of Your Teeth

The worth of something can easily be determined by its lasting value. No doubt, your teeth would fit in that category.

Your teeth have lifetime value. This is why you must prioritize their care and maintenance.

Brushing, flossing, dental examinations, and teeth cleanings are fundamental to keeping them healthy for life. But what about the occasional threat to their health?

Lasting yet vulnerable

Your teeth are vulnerable to decay, loss, and damage. Fortunately, you have restorative dentistry treatment options that can restore their health, function, and appearance.

Dental crowns, for example, are a versatile restorative dental treatment. They are also a significant piece of the dental implant treatment I provide as your Wayne dentist.

Dental crowns…

• Secure your dental bridge

• Restore your broken, damaged, decayed, or discolored tooth.

• Protect your tooth from additional damage caused by decay.

And as mentioned…

• Create a new and functional tooth for your dental implant.

Made to last

Dental crowns are created from a variety of materials. Each has their advantages and disadvantages.

For example, a metal crown will require that less of your tooth structure be removed prior to placement. The downside is that they’re more visible alongside your adjoining teeth than a tooth-colored, porcelain crown.

A porcelain crown more perfectly matches your surrounding teeth. Yet, a porcelain crown will not last as long as a metal or resin crown.

Care is essential with your dental crown as it is with your natural teeth. Consistent brushing and flossing along with regular dental check-ups are essential to keep your crown functioning properly.

It’s also important to protect your crown from damage. Hard or sticky foods can loosen or damage your dental crown.

You should expect your dental crown to last. It’s not uncommon for crowns to function effectively for over 10 years.

Contact our Wayne dental office about restorative dentistry and implant dentistry. Ask us about treatment with dental crowns.

“Did You Say You Could Treat My Gums Virtually Pain-Free?”

What’s the best kind of dental treatment?

First choice would be none because you keep your teeth and gums healthy with routine check-ups and teeth cleanings. A close second and perhaps most popular would be virtually painless dental treatment.

You had me at “pain-free”

Laser dentistry introduces you to a range of dental procedures that are virtually painless. Dental lasers are most commonly used to treat periodontal (gum) disease.

Advanced cases of gum disease can actually lead to surgical treatment. Pain or the anticipation of it are among the top reasons you could delay periodontal disease treatment.

The evolution of gum treatment

Surgical techniques for gum disease have evolved. Numerous dental appointments and referral to a periodontal specialist (periodontist) was once your standard of care.

Gum surgery can require more than one invasive procedure. And any surgical treatment is followed by a period of healing before you can anticipate being pain-free.

Gum treatment has been revolutionized by laser dentistry techniques. You can anticipate reduced treatment time, less office visits, and…significantly less pain and recovery time than invasive gum surgery.

How laser dentistry provides you a more comfortable gum treatment

Imagine having surgery and not requiring an incision. It might interest you to know that dental lasers are not invasive.

The laser used to treat your gums or other oral health issue is hair-thin. The pinpoint technology easily and quickly removes the diseased gum tissue between your teeth and gums.

Dental lasers are also effective for eliminating infection and treating it’s source. Again, this is possible without any necessary or painful incision common with other forms of oral surgery.

Following the initial removal of your infected gum tissue, the dental laser will seal the area of your treatment. You will experience only minor discomfort, little or no bleeding, and the procedure will require no local anesthesia unless you request it.

Recovery from procedures is faster with laser dentistry too. Your complete treatment, healing period, and overall recovery is noticeably improved compared with standard gum surgery.

Laser dentistry enables you to get the necessary (and best) treatment for your gum disease without fear of pain or time consuming appointments.

Contact our Wayne dental office with your questions and concerns about gum disease. Ask us about laser dentistry as a treatment option.

Implant Dentistry 101

Conversations jump topics frequently. Maybe it’s because attention spans are tested these days.

Information flows freely. That’s a good thing but it can make you pause and wonder, “Now what was it you were saying about…?”

That said dental implants are a dominant theme on this blog. I cover a variety of related topics here.

It’s important that you understand all the so called ins-and-outs, or 101-level information about implant treatment. Having covered some of those corollary topics, let’s return to the basics for a moment.

Fill in the gaps

A discussion about dental implants typically begins with a missing tooth or teeth. Losing a tooth triggers a series of emotions, panic for starters.

But once the panic subsides, it’s easy to become accustomed to the space left behind. But ignoring tooth loss is where your problems begin.

A missing tooth or teeth affects more than your smile or the embarrassment that you might feel as result. Tooth loss impacts your lifestyle.

The most noticeable areas are speaking and chewing. And the challenge remains until you learn to compromise and alternate your routine.

Your teeth begin to shift and move not long after tooth loss. The damage caused by shifting teeth is a priority concern.

Also, plaque often hides in your missing tooth gaps. This increases the potential for tooth decay to take hold and lead to other dental treatment or worse, gum disease.

Stop it before it starts

You have options for tooth replacement. Implant dentistry is popular for restoring your natural tooth function.

Unlike implants, dentures sit on top of your gums. A dental bridge depends on the anchoring support of your adjacent teeth.

The implant integrates with your jawbone and gum tissue to prohibit tooth movement and further damage to your gum and bone tissue. Dental implants look and function as your natural teeth.

A solution that lasts

Implants can replace a single tooth or several teeth. Dental implants are also a common support for securing a dental bridge or implant-supported dentures.

Implant treatment is a more permanent solution than dentures, partial dentures, or dental bridges. Your cost comparison should consider the long-term effectiveness of dental implants over other tooth replacement solutions.

What to expect

Your dental implants treatment can most often be completed in two to three phases. Keep in mind that your implant treatment is an oral surgery procedure using local anesthesia and/or sedation dentistry (if you choose).

Phase one: involves the actual placement of your titanium implant within your jawbone. Your gum tissue is placed over your dental implant to begin the initial healing process.

This allows your new implant to fuse to your bone (osseointegration). The osseointegration period usually lasts three to six months as healing occurs.

Phase two and three: your post is placed within your dental implant. This extends above your gum line and creates the location for your new, visible tooth.

A dental crown will be placed on the post once your gum tissue has healed. The crown, post (abutment), and implant fill the missing tooth gap and give you a secure, functional new tooth.

There are many questions and considerations for dental implant treatment. Cover the basics of implant dentistry with a consultation in our Wayne dental office.