Whether you are missing one, many, or all of your teeth, Downtown Dental's implant dentistry uses latest advanced materials and tissue management techniques to replace those missing teeth and help you regain the self-confidence, quality of life and smile you may have lost when you lost them. Here are a few basic questions we often hear from patients interested in implant procedures:
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are single replacements for missing teeth. They are usually made of titanium or other biocompatible materials so that bone will grow in and around them to lock them into place.
Why is it important to replace a missing or extracted tooth with an implant?
Your teeth work as a group to do many things like chew food, form phonetics for proper speech, and fill out your cheeks to maintain a youthful appearance. Posterior teeth serve to support the force of your bite, while anterior teeth allow for proper chewing and beautiful aesthetics. Losing a tooth means that the remaining teeth have to absorb more force than what they were designed for. Because the number and distribution of teeth changes, but the force with which your muscles contract does not.
We often see that when people have been missing a tooth or teeth for a few years, the remaining teeth break down much more quickly than they should. Therefore, it is important to replace missing or extracted teeth, and implants are the very best way to do that.
How do implants work?
Implants are threaded, and shaped like the root of a tooth. They are placed in the bone where a tooth is missing or was extracted. After a period of healing (usually a few months) in which your bone grows around the implant to make it strong, an anchor is placed inside the implant and a crown is made to fit your bite and match the shape and color of the rest of your teeth.
How successful are implants?
As a restorative procedure, implants are one of the most successful treatments in dentistry. Although each one is different, generally accepted success rates are around 98% over the long term. This makes the actual effective value of an implant far outpace the cost to the patient. There are many factors that can decrease the chances of success, such as smoking, poor oral hygiene, and related health issues like diabetes or bruxism (tooth grinding) so it is important to discuss these factors with your doctor when considering implants as an option for teeth replacement.
Does it hurt to have an implant placed?
Rarely. Most patients report little to no discomfort after an implant is placed. Typically patients may use OTC pain medicine such as Advil or Tylenol with great success after surgery.
How Do I Clean My Dental Implants at Home?
1. Use a soft or extra soft toothbrush and a low abrasive toothpaste (avoid pastes with gritty particles) and brush the entire mouth twice daily and especially thorough at night before bed.
2. Proxy brushes (non metal miniature pipe cleaners) can be used to brush the in-betweens of the teeth. A prescription antimicrobial mouth rinse may be prescribed if your dentist feels it appropriate based on your level of inflammation.
3. Wrap floss around the implant at the base of crown of the tooth in a figure eight formation and pull back and forth. It is completely safe to clean your implant at or below the gum line. In fact, it is most important to remove the biofilm from the junction of the crown and gum line. Do this every night after you have eaten your last meal.
4. A water pik is a wonderful adjunct to a home care regimen and is highly recommended for patients with implants. Strong water pressure forces the food particles and bacteria from the trough of gum surrounded the implant. This can be used morning and night.
How Will I Care for My Dental Implants After Surgery?
Pain and swelling are not expected following normal post surgical soreness, however rest will be important over the next 12 hours to help the body form a good blood clot at surgical site. The clot formation aids in reducing pain, bleeding, and the risk of infection so limit exercise, talking, chewing, and avoid smoking.
Smoking slows healing and increases the risk of surgical complications and failures.
Abstain from food and drink for one hour and use a warm salt water rinse every 4-6 hours.
Food intake should be limited to liquids for the first 12 hours and then very soft foods for the next couple of weeks. Avoid seeds and nuts.
Apply with chlorehexidine twice daily.
Do not pull on sutures. There should not be any bleeding after 24 hours.
Bone particles are not unusual at the graft site.
If you're interested in learning more about dental implants and replacing missing teeth, we would be happy to tell you more. Please call our office at 615-254-1393 for more information or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Clark.
Teeth whitening can help brighten up a dingy smile. There are many possible choices, from professional whitening in a dentist's office to do-it-yourself kits. Whatever you choose, it's important to get the facts ahead of time. Not everything you hear about teeth whitening is true. Check out these debunked myths.
Myth #1: It's too expensive.
The truth is teeth whitening doesn't have to cost a fortune. At-home tooth whitening is usually more affordable than the professional whitening your dentist does. But that doesn't mean all professional whitening will be out of your budget. Teeth-whitening kits run about $100. In-office professional whitening costs an average of $650. Costs vary widely, though. Some versions can cost as much as $3,500. Your dentist can set you up with at-home whitening trays for about $350.
Myth #2: It will make my teeth too sensitive.
Teeth-whitening solutions in teeth-whitening kits sometimes do make teeth more sensitive, but it’s not a permanent side effect. The bleaching solution may cause mild irritation to your gums as well. That's also temporary. And, there are ways to deal with this so you can still whiten your teeth. Wear the teeth-whitening trays or strips for a shorter amount of time. If you're supposed to apply the solution for an hour, do it in two 30-minute sessions. Take a break for a few days after you first start whitening your teeth. Also, use a toothpaste for sensitive teeth.
Myth #3: It can work for anyone.
Teeth-whitening solutions cannot always get teeth bright white—even if you opt for the pricey in-office whitening treatments. Whitening treatments don't work on dentures, veneers, caps, crowns or fillings. Teeth stained gray or blue, often from medications or trauma, might not whiten. Teeth stained brown might not whiten completely. But, teeth that are yellowish in color usually whiten the best. Talk to your dentist about whether your teeth are likely to respond well to whitening.
Myth #4: I just need to do it once.
Most teeth-whitening treatments need touch-ups. Professional treatments done in a dentist's office may last up to three years. Even then, you may need additional treatments after six months to a year. At-home whitening kits may need more frequent applications. It all depends on your teeth, the whitening solution you use, and your habits. Smoking and drinking coffee can make teeth discolor more quickly, for instance.
Myth #5: You must have the treatment in a dentist's office to get good results.
Not necessarily. Dentists use a concentrated bleaching gel and a light to help whiten teeth. They make sure the amount used is safe and apply something to protect your gums. And, even if you need to repeat the procedure, just one visit can provide results. The American Dental Association has not approved at-home bleaching strips, gel kits, and whitening toothpastes. They may be effective, but it's important to consult your dentist before trying any of them. Ask if a specific teeth-whitening kit would be safe for you. Get some tips to make sure you'll use it correctly.
Learn more about Downtown Dental's cosmetic whitening options.
Cosmetic dentistry isn’t about vanity: in fact, we regularly see a change in a patient’s entire health status when they begin to work from the inside out. Practicing self-care to get healthy and overcome insecurities absolutely results in better overall wellness: when patients focus on their own health and happiness, the result is beauty.
Many cosmetic dentistry patients wish they could just cover up their old, stained cracked or uneven teeth. Fortunately, dental veneers do exactly that. A veneer is really an architectural term: it just means a covering over something else. In the same way, a dental veneer is a thin piece of handcrafted porcelain, which is a glass, made to go over and bond/fuse to a natural tooth.
The traditional approach to veneers included an extremely thin, semi-translucent porcelain cap permanently bonded to the front of your tooth. Because these veneers are permanent, the tooth would require some preparation (grinding down) to ensure a seamless fit.
However, some patients don’t want any preparation of their teeth in order to place a cosmetic veneer. This is why PREPLESS VENEERS are a beautiful thing: the end product is a thin layer of porcelain that can be bonded to the person’s tooth without drilling the tooth down in size.
A minimally invasive "facelift" for your mouth
Prepless dental veneers provide the same aesthetic and functional benefits that porcelain veneers do. They are a good option for patients who want veneers but are hesitant to file down healthy tooth enamel.
CONSIDERATIONS
The most important element of a dental veneer is the skill and talent of your dentist. Not every dental office offers prepless veneers: some cosmetic dentists only offer veneers that require a lot of tooth grinding. Your dentist must be a HIGHLY trained and skilled provider to offer the best in conservative cosmetic dentistry. We believe that that non-invasive, no grinding type of porcelain veneers can be made to not only look natural but actually make the teeth much less sensitive.
Prepless veneers appeal to many patients because the procedure can be reversed. If you choose in the future to have your prepless veneers removed, your natural teeth will look like they used to before dental veneers.
As with any dental restoration, they will last longer if you maintain good dental hygiene, and not all veneer cases will lend themselves to no-prep or minimal preparation procedures.
Have more questions? Call our office at 615-254-1393 to learn more and to schedule your consult with Dr. Clark.
