Dental Implant Placement Basics as a Step-by-Step Process

If you have ever lost a tooth, you might have more than just a gap between your teeth. If a lost tooth is not replaced, the bone in the jaw that supported the lost tooth starts to deteriorate. That’s because when you chew your food, there’s no more stimulation to the bone from the missing tooth’s chewing action. Over time, the gaps in your mouth change as the surrounding teeth shift into the empty space, causing your bite alignment to shift with it. When this happens, missing teeth can not only affect how you look but can cause problems when you chew and even when you speak.

What can you do to prevent this from happening to your smile? You want something to take that missing tooth’s place, and one of the best options available today is a dental implant. Acting like a tooth, implants stimulate your jawbone from the pressure they exert when you chew by acting as the base of a regular tooth. Because of this, they keep the jaw healthy and strong and your bite alignment intact. You can have a single implant done or multiple implants to replace as many teeth as you need.

The implant itself is a titanium post used to act like a tooth root. Once it is surgically placed into the jawbone under the gumline, it can hold a tooth replacement (or a dental bridge). Once the implant fuses to your jawbone it is sturdy and durable. It won’t shift in the mouth, so you can speak and chew without worry. A dental implant can be used to secure dentures, bridges, and crowns to replace your teeth to help them feel natural in the mouth.

To have an implant done for your missing teeth requires healthy gums and enough jawbone material to support the implant. You’re also going to need to keep up excellent daily oral hygiene, including routine dental visits to support the ongoing function of the implant. If you are considering dental implant placement, we are pleased to offer some insight into what you can expect from the procedure.

Many patients are concerned that the process will be painful, and while any surgical procedure has some degree of discomfort as the mouth heals, our team can provide a local anesthesia or another form of sedation to ensure you are comfortable during the implant placement process.

When it’s time to place your dental implant after you’ve been given the appropriate anesthesia, our team of professionals typically perform the following basic steps:

– Create an access point in the gum line to reach the underlying jawbone area.
– Create some space in the jawbone to create an anchor point for the dental implant to support a new tooth.
– Attach the titanium screw to the jawbone, which forms the base of the dental implant.
– Allow the jawbone time to grow around the metal base and fuse naturally with the implant, which can take a few months.
– Attach an abutment to the titanium screw after the bone has completed its regrowth process, which serves to keep the final dental crown or other tooth restoration in place.
– Allow your gums to heal and improve their health for a few weeks prior to placing the dental restoration.
– Create a detailed impression of your smile to serve as a guide for the creation of the restoration.
– Place it on the implant so that it looks natural and matches well with your surrounding teeth.

Depending on the number of teeth that need to be replaced, the overall process can take a few weeks or months to achieve final completion. To learn more about dental implants and how they can replace missing teeth, contact our team today for more information!

Enamel-Friendly Foods for Your Teeth

When it comes to protecting your teeth, your first line of defense against tooth decay and cavities is tooth enamel, as it is the outermost covering that protects the more vulnerable dentin and tooth pulp below. Your enamel comes equipped for the job as the hardest substance in your body. However, because it doesn’t have living cells it can’t grow back once it is lost.

The number one enemy of tooth enamel is acid. It eats away at the enamel leaving it vulnerable to decay as it weakens. Because tooth enamel protects the lower layers from acids and plaque, protecting it is vital to your oral health. Be sure to limit these harmful items as much as possible, and be sure to clean your teeth at least twice a day. Here are some items to avoid:

– Soda
– Fruit juice
– Flavored water (has citric acid and other additives)
– Sugary snacks like cakes, cookies and candies
– Starchy snacks like chips, crackers, pretzels and bread
– Citrus fruit

Of course, it’s not just about what you leave out of your diet that protects tooth enamel. There are foods that can help strengthen tooth enamel, so let’s take a look at them.

– Probably the number one food choice for healthy teeth is rich in calcium which helps form strong teeth and bones. Cheese, which is high in calcium, also helps balance your oral pH which lowers the acids that attack the enamel. Besides cheese and other low-fat dairy items like yogurt, you can find calcium in fortified rice and soy milk, sardines and salmon in the can, almonds, and dark leafy greens like kale, broccoli and spinach.

– Foods rich in vitamin D help your body absorb calcium. Vitamin D is abundant in milk, salmon, margarine, as well as soy and rice beverages which are fortified.

– Your teeth also need phosphorus which you can find in eggs, meat and fish.

– Vitamin A, found in sweet potatoes, red peppers, mangoes and kale.

– Beta-carotene in fruits and vegetables which are orange.

– Magnesium rich foods like bananas, whole grains, and spinach.

For healthy tooth enamel, you also want to make sure are hydrated throughout the day. Water helps support saliva flow and keeps your mouth debris-free while helping all the bodily tissues.

Healthy eating habits, combined with daily tooth brushing and flossing and regular dental checkups and cleanings can help your teeth and gums stay strong for a lifetime of healthy smiles.

If you would like to have our team provide you with a thorough dental cleaning and exam, we invite you to call and schedule an appointment today. We look forward to providing you with the quality care you deserve.

How Routine Dental Checkups Help Your Smile in the Long Run

When you come in for dental exams and we have cleaned your teeth and gum line and removed any hardened plaque, our dentist can look at them for any signs of trouble, such as cavities, loose or broken teeth, damaged fillings, and evaluate your risk rate of certain diseases which might also take into account your family history. We will look for swelling in the gums or redness and bleeding and even measure the depth of gingival pockets signaling gum disease. We will evaluate your bite, determine if you have bruxism (a sign of teeth grinding), check the contact between teeth and examine the lower jaw joints for problems. We will also examine the soft tissues in your head, mouth and neck, including the lymph nodes, for any indications of cancer or infection. If problems are detected, you may require further diagnostics followed up with recommended treatment options.

As you can see, this is one of the biggest reasons why dental checkups are so important, because spotting problems early on is crucial for providing effective, minimally invasive, and economical treatment. Using x-rays and other diagnostic tools, we can detect problems early when you may not even be aware of them, especially since tooth decay isn’t usually obvious or painful in the early stages. By the time you do notice problems, the condition has often already advanced.

While most of the time you may need to see your dentist twice a year, there are circumstances that might require coming in more often, particularly since your oral health is directly related to your overall health and vice versa. For example, if you have a disease such as diabetes or heart disease you may be at greater risk of gum disease. If you have a weakened immune system, you will likely have a diminished ability to ward off infections and diseases. If you regularly use tobacco or are a heavy drinker, you are at greater risk of oral problems. Taking medications that result in dry mouth – a reduction in saliva production – puts you at higher risk of developing cavities. So be sure to let our dentist know what medications and supplements you are currently taking when you come in for your routine checkups. You can also let us know if you are noticing signs of tooth sensitivity, pain or an unusual lump. Again, the earlier a problem is addressed, the better the treatment success rate.

If you would like to have our dentist and team provide you with a thorough dental cleaning and exam, we invite you to call our office to schedule an appointment. Our goal is to help you create the healthiest oral environment for your teeth and gums and we look forward to providing you with the quality care you deserve.