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Posts for tag: dental implants

By Sandusky and Lexington Dental Care
December 02, 2021
Category: Oral Health
KeeptheImplantsSupportingYourBridgeCleanofDentalPlaque

Dental implants have revolutionized restorative dentistry. Not only are they the top choice for individual tooth replacement, implants also improve upon traditional dental work.

Dental bridges are a case in point. A few well-placed implants can support a fixed bridge instead of natural teeth, as with a traditional bridge. Furthermore, a fixed, implant-supported bridge can replace all the teeth on a jaw.

But although convenient, we can't simply install an implant-supported bridge and forget about it. We must also protect it from what might seem at first an unlikely threat—periodontal (gum) disease.

Although the bridge materials themselves are impervious to infection, the natural tissues that underly the implants—the gums and bone—are not. An infection plaguing the gums around an implant can eventually reach the bone, weakening it to the point that it can no longer support the imbedded implants. As the implants fail, so does the bridge.

To guard against this, patients must regularly remove any buildup of plaque, a thin biofilm that feeds disease-causing bacteria, adhering to the implant surfaces in the space between the bridge and the gums. To do this, you'll need to floss—but not in the traditional way. You'll need some form of tool to accomplish the job.

One such tool is a floss threader. Similar to a large needle, the threader has an eye opening at one end through which you insert a section of floss. You then gently pass the threader between the bridge and the gums toward the tongue.

Once through, you release the floss from the threader, and holding each end, you work the floss along the implant surfaces within reach. You then repeat the threading process for other sections until you've flossed around all the implants.

You might also use a water flosser, a device that directs a spray of water between the bridge and gums. The pressure from the spray loosens and flushes away any plaque around the implants.

Whatever the method, it's important to use it every day to reduce the threat of gum disease. You should also see your dentist regularly for further cleanings and checkups. Keeping your implants clean helps ensure gum disease won't ruin your fixed bridge—or your attractive smile.

If you would like more information on keeping your dental work clean, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Oral Hygiene for Fixed Bridgework.”

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By Sandusky and Lexington Dental Care
September 13, 2021
Category: Dental Procedures
Tags: dental implants  
4ReasonstoConsiderDentalImplants

Along with fessing up to cherry tree surgery and tossing silver dollars across the Potomac River, George Washington is also famously known for wearing wooden dentures. Although we can't verify the first two legends, we can confirm Washington did indeed wear dentures, but not of wood—hippopotamus ivory and (yikes!) donated human teeth—but not wood.

Although they seem primitive to us today, Washington's dentures were the best that could be produced at the time. Still, the Father of Our Country suffered mightily from his dentures, both in physical discomfort and social embarrassment. Regarding the latter, our first president's dentures contorted his lips and mouth in an unattractive way, faintly discernable in Gilbert Stuart's famous portraits of our first president.

If only Washington had lived in a later era, he might have been able to avoid all that dental unpleasantness. Besides better versions of dentures, he might also have benefited from an entirely new way of replacing teeth—dental implants. Just four decades after this state-of-the-art restoration was first introduced, we now recognize implants as the "Gold Standard" for tooth replacement.

In recognition of Dental Implant Month in September, here are 4 reasons why dental implants might be the right tooth replacement choice for you.

Life-like. While other restorations provide a reasonable facsimile of natural teeth, implants take like-likeness to another level. That's because the implant replaces the root, which then allows for a life-like crown to be attached to it. By positioning it properly, implants and the subsequent crown can blend seamlessly with other teeth to create an overall natural smile appearance.

Durable. Implants owe their long-term durability (more than 95% still functioning after ten years) to a special affinity between bone and the titanium post imbedded in the jaw. Bone cells readily grow and adhere to the implant's surface, resulting over time in a more secure hold than other restorations. By the way, this increased bone growth around implants can help slow or even stop progressive bone loss.

Low impact. Dental bridges are another well-regarded tooth replacement option, but with a major downside: The natural teeth on either side of the missing teeth gap must be crowned to support the bridge. To prepare them, we must permanently alter these teeth. Implants, though, don't require this form of support, and so have a negligible effect on other teeth.

Versatile. Although implants are a practical choice for individual tooth restorations, multiple teeth replacements can get expensive. Implants, though, can also be incorporated into other restorations: Four to six implants can support an entire removable denture or fixed bridge. Implant-supported restorations are more durable than the traditional versions, while also encouraging better bone health.

If you need to replace teeth and would like to consider dental implants, see us for a complete examination. You may be an ideal candidate for this "best of the best" dental restoration.

If you would like more information about dental implants, please contact us or schedule a consultation. To learn more, read the Dear Doctor magazine article “Dental Implants.”

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By Sandusky and Lexington Dental Care
August 29, 2021
Category: Dental Procedures
Tags: dental implants  
HeresWhatYouCanExpectWithDentalImplantSurgery

Getting dental implants is going to require surgery. But don't let that concern you—it's a relatively minor procedure.

Currently the “gold standard” for tooth replacement, an implant consists of a titanium post surgically imbedded in the jawbone. We can affix a life-like crown to a single implant or support a fixed bridge or removable denture using a series of them.

Because placement will determine the restoration's final appearance, we must carefully plan implant surgery beforehand. Our first priority is to verify that you have adequate jawbone available to support an implant.

Additionally, we want to identify any underlying structures like nerves or blood vessels that might obstruct placement. We may also develop a surgical guide, a retainer-like device placed in the mouth during surgery that identifies precisely where to create the holes or channels for the implants.

After numbing the area with local anesthesia, we begin the surgery by opening the gum tissue with a series of incisions to expose the underlying bone. If we've prepared a surgical guide, we'll place it in the mouth at this time.

We then create the channel for the insert through a series of drillings. We start with a small opening, then increase its size through subsequent drills until we've created a channel that fits the size of the intended implant.

After removing the implant from its sterile packaging, we'll directly insert it into the channel. Once in place, we may take an x-ray to verify that it's been properly placed, and adjust as needed. Unless we're attaching a temporary crown at the time of surgery (an alternate procedure called immediate loading), we suture the gums over the implant to protect it.

Similar to other dental procedures, discomfort after surgery is usually mild to moderate and manageable with pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen (if necessary, we can prescribe something stronger). We may also have you take antibiotics or use antibacterial mouthrinses for a while to prevent infection.

A few weeks later, after the bone has grown and adhered to the implant surface, you'll return to receive your new permanent crown or restoration. While the process can take a few months and a number of treatment visits, in the end you'll have new life-like teeth that could serve you well for decades.

If you would like more information on dental implants, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Dental Implant Surgery.”

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By Sandusky and Lexington Dental Care
July 15, 2021
Category: Oral Health
UntreatedGumDiseaseCouldCostYouYourImplant

Your teeth can take decades of daily biting and chewing and not miss a beat. But they do have a nemesis, dental disease, which can easily get the upper hand. As a result, millions of people lose teeth each year to tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease.

But while both the living tissue that makes up teeth and gums are susceptible to bacterial attack, the non-living materials in a life-like dental implant are impervious to disease. That being the case, you would think your implants wouldn't need as much hygiene as your other teeth.

But they still do. True, implants in themselves aren't affected by infection, but the bone and other tissues that support them can become diseased. This often happens with advanced cases of gum disease.

There is, in fact, a particular form of gum infection associated with implants called peri-implantitis ("peri"—around; "it is"—inflammation), which occurs in the gums around an implant. Once it starts, peri-implantitis can advance at a rapid pace.

This is because implants don't have the gum attachment of real teeth, which can fight and slow the advance of a gum infection. Because an implant doesn't have this attachment, any infection around it continues virtually unimpeded. If the bone supporting an implant becomes infected, it can weaken to the point that the implant fails.

But this dire scenario can be avoided with continuing hygiene and maintenance of the gum tissues surrounding the implant. You should brush and floss every day around implants to remove dental plaque, the bacterial film most responsible for dental disease, just as you do with natural teeth.

It's also important to keep up regular dental visits for cleanings to remove lingering plaque and tartar (hardened plaque). Your dentist may also notice and clean away any residual cement from the restoration, which can also cause gum inflammation.

And, you should promptly see your dentist if you notice any telltale signs of a gum infection, such as swelling, redness or bleeding, especially around implants. The quicker we diagnose and treat a case of gum disease, particularly peri-implantitis, the less likely it will endanger your implant.

If you would like more information on maintaining dental implant restorations, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation.

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By Sandusky and Lexington Dental Care
April 06, 2021
Category: Dental Procedures
Tags: dental implants  
ImplantsCouldHelpYouKeepRemainingTeethLonger

It's a common practice among people slowly losing their teeth to have their remaining teeth removed. They find dentures to be less costly than replacing one tooth at a time or caring for those that remain. On the other hand, it's usually healthier for the mouth to preserve remaining teeth as long as possible, replacing them only as necessary.

This latter strategy has up to now been difficult and expensive to achieve. But dental implants are changing that—using these imbedded titanium metal devices with a variety of restorations, we're able to better plan and implement staged tooth replacement.

Most people associate implants with single tooth replacements of a life-like crown cemented or screwed into an abutment attached to the implant post. This can play an early role in a staged replacement plan, but at some point, multiple single-tooth implants can become quite expensive.

Implants, however, have a much broader range of use. A few strategically placed implants can support a variety of restorations, including bridges and removable or fixed dentures. Four to eight implants, for example, can secure a fixed denture replacing all teeth on a jaw, far fewer than the number needed to replace the teeth individually.

Implants may also improve the function of traditional restorations. For instance, dentures can't stop the bone loss that often results from tooth loss—in fact, they will accelerate it as they rub and irritate the bony ridges of the jaw. By contrast, implants stimulate bone growth, slowing or even stopping the process of bone loss.

In a traditional bridge, the outer crowns of the restoration are bonded to the teeth on either side of the missing tooth gap (the middle crowns fill the gap). These support teeth must be permanently altered to accommodate the crowns. But an implant-supported bridge doesn't depend on other teeth for support, thus eliminating the need to permanently alter any teeth.

More importantly, previously placed implants often become part of the next stages of tooth replacement, like building on an addition onto an existing house. All in all, including implants in your ongoing dental restoration can help you enjoy the benefits of preserving your natural teeth for much longer.

If you would like more information on dental restoration options, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Replacing All Teeth but Not All at Once.”

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