Month: January 2020

Conventional dentures and full arch dental implants lie on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to teeth replacement options. Full arch dental implants are the closest to natural teeth in terms of performance and aesthetics, though they cost more than conventional dentures. Somewhere in the middle of these restoration options, at the intersection of performance and affordability, lies implant-supported dentures – and they’re a significant step up from conventional dentures. Take a look at what makes implant-supported dentures so much better than conventional dentures.

Dental Implants

A little bit of titanium makes a world of difference when it comes to dentures. While conventional dentures rely on adhesives and metal frames to stay in place, implant-supported dentures owe their stability to dental implants.

To better understand how dental implants keep dentures in place, it can be helpful to take a look at the major components of dental implants:

The implant post – this titanium screw is inserted into the jawbone in the same fashion as the roots of natural teeth. Over time, the titanium fuses with the bone.

The abutment – this component sits atop the implant post. While the implant post lies underneath the gums, the abutment sits above the gums and serves as a connector for the restoration.

The restorations – this is your replacement tooth or teeth. In the case of implant-supported dentures, the dentures are the restoration.

Real-World Benefits

Because implant-supported dentures are anchored by titanium implants, you’ll be able to transfer more of your jaws’ force in to biting and chewing power with your restorations.

These are some of the many ways implant-supported dentures edge out conventional dentures:

Eating – you’ll be able to chew through tougher foods

Speaking – because your dentures will stay firmly in place, they won’t distort your words

Maintenance – there are no adhesives to soak and scrub off. Simply brush, using a water flosser and rinse

Self-confidence – the back of your mind won’t be consumed with thoughts of your dentures slipping out of place and embarrassing you

More on Implant-Supported Dentures in Van Nuys, CA Take a moment to reserve an appointment with a local dentist to learn more about dental implants in implant-supported dentures in Van Nuys, CA.

Despite the efficacy and natural-looking aesthetics of dental implants, some people find it hard to let go of their few remaining teeth in order to have them replaced with full arch dental implants. Depending on the condition of those remaining teeth, your dentist might advocate for removing the teeth or may look at solutions for keeping them. Take a look at some of the reasons your dentist may recommend tooth extractions to make way for dental implants, along with reasons they may suggest keeping them.

Reasons to Hold On

If you’ve lost most of your teeth, there’s a good chance the few that remain are on their way. But if the teeth are indeed healthy, and the jawbone underneath in good condition, your dentist can come up with a plan to keep the teeth in place while adding dental implants around them. This can be done by using several dental bridges as the restoration to replace a full row of teeth, rather than an overdenture. Single dental implants, with a dental crown as the restoration, can be used to place teeth in small gaps.

Reasons to Let Go

If your remaining teeth are failing, and you’re preparing to get dental implants, there aren’t many sensible reasons for holding on to them. Failing teeth can harbor gum disease, so your fresh start with dental implants could be tarnished by the same gum disease that caused the last of your natural teeth to fail.

If you aren’t quite ready to get dental implants, but plan to in the future, there are procedures your dentist can perform to prevent the area of the jawbone from deteriorating due to the loss of teeth – the jawbone starts to deteriorate when permanent teeth are lost. Ridge preservation is a procedure that stops or slows the deterioration of the jawbone after a tooth extraction.

More on Tooth Extractions in Van Nuys, CA

Take a minute to schedule a consultation with a local dentist to learn more about your options for tooth extractions in Van Nuys, CA. 

Ideally, every candidate for dental implants would only need to undergo the implant placement procedure and a period of healing before they get their replacement teeth. The reality is, we’re all different and not every candidate for dental implants is a strong candidate. Many people often need supporting procedures in order to make sure their dental implants are viable for the long term. Take a look at some of the procedures you might need in order to prepare for dental implant placement.

Tooth Extractions

If you’ve got healthy teeth left, your dentist can work out a plan to preserve those teeth and implant replacement teeth alongside them. But if you have a need for full arch dental implants, chances are, any remaining teeth have been compromised and you’ll need tooth extractions.

Failing teeth must be extracted in order to make way for dental implants and to help get gum disease under control.

Bone Grafting

On their own, gum disease and tooth loss can result in a loss of bone in the jaws. Without sufficient bone mass and density, dental implants won’t be viable. Bone grafting offers a way to regenerate new bone to provide a firm foundation for dental implants. Bone material, synthetic or natural, is packed into an area of low bone dentistry, wrapped with a membrane to guide growth, and then left to heal for a few months. Once healed, a person who might have been a bad candidate for dental implants can be a strong candidate for implants.

Other Procedures

Tooth extractions and bone grafting are two of the most popular supporting procedures for dental implants. But there are others, including:

Ridge Preservation – if implant placement will happen years after a tooth extraction, ridge preservation can help stop the bone loss that can occur after an extraction

Sinus Lift – the sinuses can sag in the mouth and crowd space needed for dental implants. A sinus lift can tuck the sinuses back to make way for implants.

More on Full Arch Dental Implants in North Hills, CA

Reserve an appointment with a local dentist to learn more about what you can expect from getting full arch dental implants in North Hills, CA.

Compared to the years on years it takes to lose all of your teeth, the time it takes to replace them with dental implants pales in comparison. While your dental implant journey will be short from a big picture perspective, it’ll still take the better part of a year, possibly even longer, to get your dental implants. Take a look at some at what goes into getting dental implants and get a better idea about how long it’ll all take.

The Consultation and Examination Phase

This is where your journey starts. During your first appointment, you’ll have plenty of time to talk with your dentist about what you hope to gain from dental implants.

During this stage, your dentist and staff will assess the current state of your teeth and gums, and will take 3D scans of your mouth to determine whether or not you’re a good candidate for dental implants. You’ll also discuss restoration styles, financing options and a date for your placement procedure.

Placement Surgery

Typically, you can get all of your implants in one appointment – even if you’ll be getting a full mouth of replacement teeth. Even if you need to have teeth extracted to make way for implants, there’s still a good chance you’ll get all of your implants placed in one day.

Healing, Checkup

It’ll take a few months of healing before your dental implants fuse with your jawbones. As your implants heal, you’ll need to check in with your dentist to ensure that they’re healing properly and aren’t under threat from a bacterial infection.

Final Restoration

You’ll wear temporary restorations until your implants have healed enough to support your final restoration. But once your dental implants have healed, your dentist will attach your permanent replacement teeth to your implants.

More on Dental Implants in San Fernando, CA

Take a minute to schedule a consultation with a local dentist to learn more about your options for getting dental implants in San Fernando, CA. 

To some people, general anesthesia might seem like the easiest and most comfortable way to get through dental implant placement surgery. However, there are safer solutions for keeping you calm and comfortable through your procedure. Take a look at the top reasons you won’t need general anesthesia to have your dental implants placed and find out what you can do to feel more comfortable during the placement procedure.

Local Anesthesia

Even if you’re getting a full set of dental implants and replacement teeth, you’ll only need local anesthesia to get you through the procedure free of pain. After you’ve received a dose of a local anesthetic to numb your mouth, you’ll on experience minimal discomfort – if any.

Sedation

While local anesthesia will ensure you experience no pain during your dental implant placement procedure, some people still deal with high levels of anxiety.

If you’re worried about anxiety turning your placement procedure into a nightmare, talk to your dentist beforehand about sedation options.

Here are some of the top reasons for opting for sedation ahead of your placement procedure:

Remain calm – sedation can deliver a sense of wellbeing and can calm feeling of panic and anxiety

Stay in place – sedation makes it much easier to sit still. So if you need supporting procedures along with your implants, sedation can make it all a breeze

Tame your gag reflex – if you have an overactive gag reflex, sedation can calm it and help you avoid feeling nauseous while your dentist works in your mouth

Why You Should Avoid General Anesthesia

 Many people are surprised at just how quickly and efficiently an experienced dentist can place dental implants. In many cases, general anesthesia is excessive. When you’re under it, you’ll sleep until it has finally worn off – and that may finally happen well after your dentist has finished working. In addition, it’s always a risk to put any person under general anesthesia.

More on Dental Implants in Panorama City, CA

Take a moment to schedule a consultation with a local dentist to learn more about your options for getting dental implants in Panorama City, CA. 

When many people think of dental implants, it can be hard for them to think of anything else other than the promise of restored function. They think about eating their favorite foods again, enjoying food without having to cut it into tiny pieces and consuming food with the fear of embarrassment that can come from dentures sliding out of place. However, the benefits of dental implants don’t end with restored function. They can also dramatically enhance the aesthetics of your smile. Take a look at how dental implants can restore your smile.

Jaw Structure

One of the top functions of the jawbone is supporting teeth. When teeth are healthy, they stimulate the jawbones each time you use your teeth to bite and chew. When teeth are lost, the jawbones lose the stimulation and begin to deteriorate. This deterioration can cause the cheeks to sink in, cause the face to look gaunt and make your smile look thin.

Because dental implants act like natural teeth, with their titanium roots implanted into the jawbone, your face and smile will look fuller. Stimulation from the dental implants can encourage the regeneration of bone and roll back the clock on your smile.

If you’ve suffered severe bone loss in your jawbone, you may require a bone graft procedure in order to reliably support dental implants.

Realistic Teeth

Along with a fuller-looking smile, dental implants also look like and work like natural teeth – especially compared to conventional dentures. While conventional dentures can give away the illusion when they slip out place, your dental implants will hold your replacement teeth firmly in place. The teeth themselves will be made of life-like porcelain or zirconia, which look just like natural teeth – they are also stain-resistant, so it’ll be easier to maintain a bright white smile.

More on Dental Implants in North Hills, CA

Take a moment to schedule an appointment with a local dentist to learn more about your options for getting dental implants in North Hills, CA.

We all share so much in common, yet there are small differences unique to each of us. As such, there’s no single solution for replacing missing teeth with dental implants. Dental implant restoration options come in a range of styles. Before embarking on your dental implant journey, it can be helpful to know what all of your options are. Take a look at some of the most popular styles of dental implants and then keep the conversation going by scheduling a consultation for dental implants in Van Nuys, CA.

Single Dental Implants

Single dental implants are the best solution for people looking to replace one, two or even a few missing teeth. For each titanium implant installed, a dental crown is placed atop. The lifelike porcelain crowns will look just like a natural tooth. And with the support of a dental implant underneath, each one will function like a natural tooth.

Implant-Supported Dentures

If you’re looking to replace a full row of teeth, or an entire mouthful, implant-supported dentures offer the most affordable way to replace one or both rows with dental implants.

Six to eight dental implants can support an entire row of replacement teeth, specialized dentures in this case. Implant-supported dentures snap onto the dental implants embedded in the jawbone to provide biting and chewing function that’s worlds away from that support provided by conventional dentures.

All on 4 Dental Implants

Using just four optimally placed dental implants per row of teeth, the All on 4 system is the most efficient option of dental implant styles. Because the replacement teeth are fixed to the dental implants, you’ll get even more support and reliability from All on 4 dental implants than implant-supported dentures.

High-end Zirconia Bridges

To get as close to the function of natural teeth as you can, go with full arch dental implants topped with ultra-durable zirconia bridges. Six to eight dental implants are installed per row of teeth and zirconia dental bridge are permanently affixed atop them. These bridges are your most durable option for replacing missing teeth.

More on Dental Implants in Van Nuys, CA

Reserve an appointment with a local dentist to find out more about your options for getting dental implants in Van Nuys, CA.

Over time, gum disease can eat away at the gums and other structures that support the stability of teeth. Eventually, gum disease will cause teeth to fall out and will deteriorate the areas of jawbone that once held those teeth in place. Dental implants are the top solution for replacing missing teeth, but severe gum disease can eventually make someone a bad candidate for dental implants. So can you still get dental implants with gum disease? Well, it depends on the severity of the damage incurred in the jawbone and gums, along with the experience and technology of the dentist you choose.  

Gum Disease Treatment

If you have severe gum disease, you’ll need to work with your dentist to regain control over your oral health before having your dental implants placed.

Here a look at some of the many solutions for severe gum disease a dentist may recommend to help prepare you for dental implants:

 A deep cleaning (scaling and root planing) – this combination of procedures seeks to reduce or eliminate bacterial pockets that develop between the teeth and gums. A deep cleaning entails going below the gum line to remove tartar from the roots of teeth. From there, the roots are smoothed so that the gums reattach uniformly.

Osseous surgery – similar to a deep cleaning, this procedure targets tartar and decay beneath the gum line. Taking a deep cleaning a step further, osseous surgery also entails reshaping the bone that supports the jaw bone underneath the gums. It also entails regenerating bone lost to decay.

Periodontal maintenance – when one deep cleaning isn’t enough to get your oral health back on track, your dentist may recommend a series of them. This is known as periodontal maintenance.

Considerations

Once gum disease progresses from gingivitis to periodontitis, there’s no going back. You’ll need to diligently clean your teeth, tongue and gums every day to prevent gum disease from overrunning your mouth again.

After you’ve received your dental implants, it’s imperative that you check in with your dentist several times a year to ensure that gum disease doesn’t threaten your new teeth.

More on Dental Implants in San Fernando, CA

Reserve an appointment with a local dentist to learn more about your options for getting dental implants in San Fernando, CA and Van Nuys, CA.