Category: Dental Implants

The dream of a restored smile, built on a foundation of dental implants, can turn into a nightmare if the viability of your implants is threatened by failure. So what causes dental implants to fail and what can be done to treat them? Find out what peri-implantitis is, find out about other potential threats to your dental implants and learn what an experienced dentist can do to save your implants from failure. 

Signs of Peri-Implantitis

It normal to have discomfort in your gums and around your dental implants during the healing stage. But if the discomfort never quite goes away and even worsens, in the near term of just a year or two after placement, it’s a clear sign you need intervention by a dental implant specialist. The specialist can determine if you have peri-implantitis, essentially gum disease for dental implants.

Here are some of the telltale signs of that dental implants are under threat:

·         Your gums are agitated or inflamed

·         An implant is loosening

·         The area around your implants hurt

·         It’s hard to chew due to discomfort

The sooner you reach out to a good dentist for help with your concerns about your dental implants, the more treatment options you’ll have available, and the more likely it is your condition will be treatable.

Treatment of Peri-Implantitis

It’ll take a two-front effort, at home and in the dentist’s chair, to stop the spread of peri-implantitis. At home, you’ll need to make sure you thoroughly care for your implants, gum, tongue and replacement teeth.

This is what your dentist can do for you in-office:

Deep cleaning – a deep cleaning procedure can stop the spread of the infection that is eating away at your implants and supporting structure. The procedure would entail clearing away decaying material and recontouring the gum

Bone grafting – bone material can be grafted into the area of the jawbone bone that has suffered severe decay as a result of the infection

Periodontal maintenance – this is a series of deep cleanings, meant to get the most severe cases back on course with cleaning and exams every quarter year.

More on Dental Implants in Van Nuys, CA

Reserve an appointment with a local dentist to learn more about what a local dentist can do to care for your dental implants in Van Nuys, CA and help you avoid catastrophe.

When it comes to dental implants, the first thing many patients fixate on is the restored biting and chewing function. After struggling with eating common foods due to missing or failing teeth, it’s hard to blame someone for fixating on the ability to enjoy their favorite foods again. But the benefits of full arch dental implants extend beyond restored function. Full arch dental implants can enhance your life in many different ways. Take a look at some of the top ways full arch dental implants can elevate your life.

A Fuller Smile

Full arch dental implants to more for your smile than simply filling your mouth with teeth. They can also enhance the structure of your smile.

Natural teeth stimulate the jawbone whenever you bite and chew food. When those teeth are lost, and the stimulation along with it, the jawbones begin to deteriorate and the smile begins to sag. Because full arch dental implants mimic the roots of natural teeth, they can stimulate your jawbone and help regenerate lost bone. The result: full arch dental implants can rollback your smile to decades ago.

A Healthier Mouth

Often times, people hold on to the last of natural teeth, despite the fact that those remaining teeth are failing. Failing teeth are incubators for gum disease and they can negate much of your oral care efforts.

Removing failing teeth and replacing them with dental implants can make it much easier to maintain your mouth. Your brushing and flossing efforts will go further.

A Happier Mouth

Unlike conventional dentures, which are notoriously unstable, full arch dental implants will allow you to cut up food with your teeth. You won’t have to cut up and mash up your food to make it manageable enough to get through with dentures. Simply bite and chew your food the way you used to do and savor every bite.

More on Full Arch Dental Implants in Van Nuys, CA Take a minute to reserve an appointment with a local dentist to learn more about your options for getting full arch dental implants in Van Nuys, CA.

Though they’re designed with the same goal in mind, conventional dentures and implant-supported dentures take very different approaches to achieve the goal: restored function and aesthetics. With implant-supported dentures, you’ll feel more confident in biting and chewing food, as well as more confidence in your smile. Take a look at what sets conventional and implant-supported dentures apart and get a better idea about which solution will suit you best.

How They’re Different

They’re both styles of dentures, but the primary distinction between implant-supported dentures and conventional dentures is the way they achieve stability. Conventional dentures are held in place by dental adhesives, suction and metal frames. Implant-supported dentures rely on dental implants – clasps at the base of the dentures snap onto the implants.

To better understand how implants hold dentures in place, take a high-level look at how dental implants work:

The implant post – shaped like a screw, this component is inserted into the jawbone in a similar fashion to how the roots of teeth embed themselves in the jawbones.

The abutment – this component serves as a connector, attached to the implant post and sitting above the gum line

The restoration – the restoration for implant-supported dentures in the set of dentures. Other restorations could be dental crowns, dental bridges or other specialized dentures.

The Benefits of Conventional and Implant-Supported Dentures

Implant-supported dentures are much more stable than conventional dentures, due to the support of the implants. The implants help translate more of the jaws’ force into biting and chewing function, meaning you can easily chew through foods that might give you trouble if you were wearing conventional dentures.

Conventional dentures aren’t without their benefits. They’re more affordable than implant-supported dentures. And while it could take you the better part of a year to get implant-supported dentures, you can get conventional dentures in a matter of weeks – same day service is available in some cases.

More on Implant-Supported Dentures in North Hills, CA

Take a minute to schedule a consultation with a local dentist to learn more about your options for conventional dentures and implant-supported dentures in North Hills, CA. 

It can be tempting to want to take the plunge head-first and getting dental implants as soon as you’ve made your mind up about getting them. But as a decision that you’ll have to live with for the rest of your life, you’ll want to make sure you’re completely happy with your dental implants. To ensure that your journey to dental implants is a complete success and you’re happy with your restorations, you’ll need to start on the right foot by choosing the dentist. Take at a look at some of the top things you’ll need to look for in choosing a dentist to place your full arch dental implants. 

One: Experience

It may be your first time getting dental implants, but you probably don’t want it to be your dentist’s first time as well. Go with a dentist with a proven track record in successfully placing dental implants, a dentist with lots of success stories, testimonials and cases studies to back up their work.

Two: Treatment Options

Don’t settle. Find out about all of the options for dental implants from a prospective dentist. Most dentists will offer a limited set of options for dental implants. So the best treatment options for your budget and needs likely won’t be offered at every dentist’s office near you.

Three: Payment Options

Once you’re confident in your prospective dentist’s experience and are satisfied with your treatment options, review the payment options to make sure you can fit comfortably into your budget. Make sure your insurance is accepted, ask about in-office financing options and find out what third-party dental financing is accepted.

Four: Location

Make sure you can comfortably make several visits to your dentist’s office for about a year. That’s about how long it’ll take to go through your exams, implant placement and post-op checkups.

Dental Implants in North Hills, CA

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

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.