Conventional dentures have been used by patients in need of full teeth replacement for many years. Today’s modern technology has resulted in dental implants taking the place of conventional dentures for those that choose that route. Today we are going to discuss the differences between conventional dentures and dental implants.
Conventional dentures are traditionally used when full teeth replacement is needed. They can be worn on both the upper and lower parts of your mouth and if a person is in need of a partial denture (not the entire mouth) that is also available. The upper denture will have a plate that suctions to the top of the mouth. Once the lower teeth are extracted a denture will replace the lower teeth. In some cases, adhesive may be required to hold in the denture. This will provide more stability for the denture; however, it will affect the ability to fully enjoy the taste of food. When teeth are missing from the mouth, the gums will shrink as bone loss occurs, this will result in shifting of dentures, clicking and overall discomfort as sores can develop.
Dental implants are generally seen as the better solution to teeth replacement. The cost for dental implants is higher than the conventional denture, but the stability of the implants offers a security that many consider to be worth the investment. Dental implants are permanent implants that are inserted into the mouth for the teeth to be attached to. The look of dental implants is extremely natural and the teeth are stable and strong. Many who use dental implants, notice no difference between healthy, natural teeth and dental implant teeth replacements. Implants can be used to replace one tooth, multiple teeth or all upper and lower teeth.
Many Americans are very aware of the effects of smoking on overall health. Smoking undoubtedly leads to various forms of cancer including lung cancer and oral cancer. However, for the avid smoker that is considering dental implants, it is important to understand the effects of smoking on dental implants.
According to a 2007 study,
“Smoking can harm the integrity of dental implants and cause them to fail more often than in a nonsmoker, according to a new study that appeared in the February [2007] issue of the Journal of Periodontology (JOP).”
The study was conducted at the University of Murcia in Spain. Here are some more of the findings:
“People who smoke are at a greater risk of infection following surgery, and may heal more slowly,” said Dr. Arturo Sanchez Perez, Department of Periodontology at the University of Murcia. “When an implant is placed in a smoker, it is more likely to fail. This means a patient’s smile may be negatively affected, and the potential for more bone loss in the areas surrounding the gums and teeth.”
Smoking negatively affects blood flow to the bone and tissues surrounding the gums and teeth, which impairs bone healing. Implants fail because of a failure to integrate with the surrounding bone tissues. The study followed 66 patients over 5 years, who received 165 implants. They found that 15.8% of implants failed in smokers, versus 1.4% of implants in non-smokers.
“Tobacco use has been shown to be a risk factor for periodontal diseases, which is the main cause of tooth loss in adults,” said Dr. Preston D. Miller, DDS, President of the American Academy of Periodontology, “This research shows that if you want your dental implant to last, you should not smoke. Also, the treating dentist should make sure their patients are aware of this before placing an implant, and emphasize the importance of quitting smoking.”
Gum disease, aggressive brushing, and factors such as genetics and the aging process can cause a patient’s gums to recede. If you’re 
self-conscious about the amount of tooth surface that shows when you smile, there’s an answer. It’s called gum grafting, and I offer this procedure at my Plano dental practice. Gum grafts improve a smile’s appearance and health. The procedure adds tissue to your gums, restoring the proper aesthetic ratio of gums to teeth and maintaining an optimal level of gum tissue.
Adequate gum tissue is vital to keeping teeth healthy, so if you are considering tooth replacements with dental implants, a gum graft treatment can help prepare your mouth for a successful implant process.
Gum grafts provide patients with:
- Protection against tooth decay
- Coverage of tooth roots
- Better overall oral health
- Reduced bone loss
- Greater chance of implant success
A gum graft can be performed by a surgeon with the advanced tools and techniques needed to perform the surgery. Before undergoing a gum graft, you will have the option to use your own tissue for the procedure or use donor tissue, which the doctor will obtain from Alloderm. You always have relaxing sedation options to help you stay comfortable during treatment.
To learn more about gum grafting at Dental Implant Center, call our Plano office today. Dr. Lee Fitzgerald serves patients from North Dallas, Frisco, and Plano.
In over twenty years of practicing dental care, I have seen patients with both beautiful teeth and patients with teeth that were beyond repair. Often times the problems that patients experience in their mouths and with their teeth and gums could have been avoided with a few simple habits. Thankfully, today’s technology can refresh smiles and improve or even replace the teeth. However, because there are ways to maintain oral health, today’s post is going to focus on three basic tips I’d encourage patients to practice in order to increase the longevity of the teeth and gums of both yourself and those you love.
- Childhood Training
The fight over brushing and flossing before bedtime is never a fun one. However, periodontal disease is a preventable problem that simple brushing and flossing could remedy. Many parents teach their children to brush their teeth, but flossing is not always included – perhaps because the parents themselves aren’t flossing? Training from childhood will build a habit that will help prevent periodontal disease in adulthood.
- Regular Appointments
Regular dental cleanings cannot not be stressed enough. Even the most precise “brusher and flosser” will have areas that have been missed that only professional tools can detect. In addition, yearly x-rays provide a chance for a dentist to locate cavities that can sometimes appear no matter how particular you are in your daily hygiene.
- Health Habits
How you eat will not only affect your physical health, but it will affect your dental health. Maintaining a healthy, smoke-free lifestyle will influence the health of your teeth.
Those are just a few tips on maintaining your oral health.
Having dental insurance is helpful in alleviating surprising dental bills. However, if you do not take full advantage of your services by the end of the year, you may find yourself paying for more of your dental expenses out-of-pocket than you had originally planned.
You Are Paying for Your Premiums
If you are paying insurance premiums, then you should make sure to always schedule regular cleanings in order to take advantage of the money you are spending in premiums. Dental cleanings are considered preventative care and keeping your mouth healthy now will help curve costs that could occur in the future.
The deductible that you pay for your insurance generally starts over at the beginning of each calendar year. Thus, if you have dental work that needs to be done that may exceed your deductible, you will want to have that done by the end of the year. This will prevent you from having to start over with a new deductible in 2010.
Every year there is a certain amount of money that an insurance company will pay for a client’s dental work. It is called the yearly maximum. The amount will vary from plan to plan and it will generally start over each calendar year. Once again, if you are paying your premiums, then you are going to want to get the biggest bang for your buck. If nothing else, clean your teeth and use as much of your yearly maximum as you can.
Flex Spending Accounts and Health Savings Accounts
Use it or lose it. Familiarize yourself with the expiration date of your specific flex account or HSA as the expiration dates will vary, and you do not want to lose the money in the account.
For patients that are seeking out dental implants, they may go to the dentist and hear that they are going to have to have to 
undergo bone grafting before they are able to have their dental implants placed. The obvious questions that follow involve the what bone grafting is and the purpose of bone grafting.
What Is Bone Grafting?
Bone Grafting is the procedure of adding bone to an area of the mouth where it is missing. It can be used in any area of the mouth where it is needed. When adding bone to a patient’s mouth, the dentist will use one of three types of bone: autogenous, allograft, or alloplasts. Autogenous bone is bone that belongs to the patient receiving it. Allograft bone refers to donor bone and alloplasts are synthetic bone substitutes. The dentist may use a combination of the above as well.
In conjunction with the bone, the dentist may add PRP, a healing agent that comes from your blood and is accessed through the IV. The area will be closed off with either artificial collagen or donor membrane.
Why Is Bone Grafting Performed?
Bone grafting is performed for two reasons: to create enough bone for dental implants or to fill out bone deterioration under the gums. Bone creation is often needed when a patient has been without teeth for a while or for another reason has lost bone in the area where the implant will be placed. The dental implant will need the bone in order to hold it in place. If the bone grafting is to fill out the bone alone, the reason is generally cosmetic or for gum contour reasons.
Time Frame of Bone Grafting
Many times the dental implant can be placed at the same time the bone grafting surgery is performed. However, this will often depend on the facility that your dental implants and bone grafting are being conducted in and the size of the area that has to be grafted.
When bone grafting is done before the dental implant is placed, healing time for the bone to heal prior to having the implant placed can be from 4 to 6 months.
Technology is advancing at a breakneck pace, and as a result, there’s never been a better time to get dental implants. As an implant dentist, I’ve been honing the techniques and skills 
related to implant placement for years. With the introduction of revolutionary advances like digital X-rays and cone beam technology, I’m able to combine my experience and training with cutting-edge technology to make dental implant placement as minimally invasive as possible for Dallas area patients.
What Are Digital X-rays?
When we need digital X-rays, we put a tiny sensor in a patient’s mouth that emits a small amount of radiation—up to 90% less than traditional X-rays. Since we don’t need to develop the X-ray, a detailed digital image of the patient’s oral structures is available for viewing immediately. This method means we don’t handle or dispose of harmful developer chemicals and we’re able to easily store and reproduce patient X-rays.
What Is Cone Beam Technology?
The type of cone beam technology I use is the Kodak 9500 scanner. It renders a three-dimensional CAT scan that I use with implant placement planning software. This provides an invaluable resource for the implant procedure I’ll perform later by allowing me to locate ideal bone sites for the implants. The more precisely I can plan, the better the results will be for my patients.
I will perform the implant surgery once the treatment plan is in place. Instead of making several incisions and peeling back the gum tissue during surgery, I’ll make a small hole that the implant will thread through into the bone. Patients experience far less trauma to their mouths during this type of placement, which reduces recovery time and postoperative discomfort greatly.
If you’re interested in highly accurate, minimally invasive dental implant surgery, call the Plano dental practice to schedule an appointment. I regularly serve patients from Plano, North Dallas, the DFW area, and beyond.
Crown lengthening can be the solution to you having the smile you’ve always wanted and can fix teeth that appear stubby, short, or uneven. The procedure is simple and can be performed in a single visit.
What Is Crown Lengthening?
Crown lengthening involves removing excess soft tissue to establish the correct cosmetic tooth proportions. In most cases, the underlying bone will have to be changed as well, because the gum tissue is attached to the bone. The bone position tells the gums where to attach. If the bone is not changed the gums can regrow and cover the teeth again.
A crown lengthening can be performed prior to or in conjunction with crown placement to ensure the crown fits securely over your natural tooth. Gum lifts can also be performed post-implant-placement for cosmetic and oral health reasons.
Generally, the procedure will take about an hour, and patients usually require only local anesthesia. The surgery is highly predictable, and patients respond very well.
On this blog, I consistently outline the benefits of dental implants. You’ll find information about this modern tooth replacement method, the choices available, and the procedures 
involved. I’m passionate about the high quality, customized care we provide at the Dental Implant Center in Dallas. This commitment to providing patients with the latest technology and comfort includes a variety of sedation options, ensuring a stress-free visit for every patient.
I offer three types of sedation, and I’ll help you determine the best option for your situation:
1. Nitrous Oxide
Also commonly referred to as “laughing gas,” nitrous oxide is a popular form of sedation. The calming effect occurs swiftly after breathing in anesthesia through a mask – and subsides quickly once the mask is removed. Patients are able to drive home after the appointment and go about their normal routines without impairment.
2. Oral Sedation
In this case, I’ll prescribe a sedative for you to take before a procedure. Patients will need a friend to drive them to and from their appointment. I may use oral sedation in combination with nitrous oxide, which deepens the sedative effects. This type of sedation wears off gradually and leaves patients with little or no memory of their appointment.
3. IV Sedation
Intravenous sedation is administered through an IV directly into the bloodstream. This form of sedation is usually appropriate for lengthy or complex procedures. The effects subside gradually after IV removal.
Whether you’re interested in sedation dentistry for anxiety alleviation or to simply stay relaxed for a long procedure, I’ll choose the most appropriate sedation method after a meeting with you. I look forward to achieving your dental implant goals through sedation dentistry.