The Science of Dentistry

Dental Implant

The earliest dental implants seemed to have been placed by the early Egyptians when they used seashells implanted in the jaw bones to replace missing teeth. The first modern dental implants were placed in 1952.  Dental implants have come a long way since those early implants. No longer is dental implant treatment considered experimental or risky. Dental implants therapy today is safe, reliable and in some cases less expensive than other more conventional methods of replacing missing teeth.

Dental Implant

So, what are dental implants? A dental implant, in the simplest of terms, is an artificial tooth root that a periodontist places into your jaw to hold a replacement crown, bridge or denture placed by a periodontist. This is an ideal permanent solution for anyone who has lost a tooth or teeth due to injury, gum disease, very large decay or any other reason. This holds true whether we are replacing one tooth or several teeth.

Dental Implants

Tooth loss can be a devastating blow – emotionally, professionally and (sometimes) literally.  Research shows that tooth loss can greatly impact a person’s sense of self-esteem and self-worth, and that this can have a negative effect on their social and family life, and can even affect productivity at work. In the worst cases, losing a tooth can have serious psychological implications.

Dental Implants

As an authority in the field of implant dentistry, I can tell you there ARE disadvantages to dental implants. Like anything else, there are pros and cons. Many dentists speak about the pros of implants and bone grafting but there is not a lot of good information on the cons.

Dental Bone Grafting Materials

As implant dentistry continues to evolve as an office based sub-specialty, it is now rare for patients to have hospital surgery for reconstructive dental bone grafting procedures prior to or during dental implant placement.  New biological materials are used for office based regenerative surgery and are considered a replacement for conventional autogenous block grafts.  They fall into the category of bone substitutes.

Although replacing lost teeth often involves artificially building up the jaw, researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, are now showcasing a new method whereby teeth are instead moved into the toothless area using a brace, giving patients the chance of having more teeth.

While implants replace teeth, they are artificial and behave differently from natural teeth. A quick recap will be helpful in explaining why. A dental implant is a tooth-root replacement, to which an implant crown is attached. The crown is the only part you see in the mouth. The implant is placed surgically in the bone of the jaw to which it fuses in a process called osseointegration (“osseo” – bone; “integrate” – to join or fuse). A great deal of thought, research and ingenuity has gone into dental implant tooth-replacement systems to make them as fail-safe as possible. Over and above what you see, there are many other clinical aspects and considerations involved in their design and functionality to protect and maintain implant survival.

Each and every dentist likes to create his own treatment plan for the patient.

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that is placed into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or bridge.

Science Meets Art

At the start of every football game, the referee flips a coin to determine who gets the ball first. The coin of good dental care indeed has two sides, but they are not heads and tails. Technical expertise and the art of dentistry each have an established history and importance in dental practice; both are “heads.” In days past, the technical side suffered from a lack of knowledge and little data to prove the efficacy of treatments.

Because of dental implant therapy’s high success rates, patients are more accepting of dental implants as a treatment for missing or compromised teeth. However, dental implant therapy does have inherent risks for complications and failure. Research shows failure rates average between 5% and 10%.

How long has it been since you felt comfortable and not embarrassed, smiling at someone that has smiled at you?

Sinus Augmentation

Poor oral function and inferior self-esteem are just a couple of the many difficulties associated with tooth loss. Complete or partial dentures, often the solution to the problem of tooth loss, may not restore oral function completely because of poor fit due to jaw bone deterioration. Bridges, often the solution to single tooth loss, have their drawbacks too, because placing a bridge requires the teeth surrounding the missing tooth to be ground down and compromised.

Dental Implants

The topic of osteoporosis and some of its complications that we’ve seen in dentistry with certain of the drugs used to treat it has been a topic of much debate recently. Here is a quick framework of reference and some suggestions.

Transitional Mini Dental Implants (TADS)

Temporary Anchorage Devices, which comprise mini-screws and mini-dental implants are a new technology used to more accurately control the movement and positioning of teeth and reduce the time of orthodontic treatment.

Angel Cabrera Masters Champion

Angel Cabrera took four months off from the PGA tour to deal with a series of dental surgeries and a wrist problem. A total of 10 dental implants were placed by a Houston oral surgeron, Dr. Steve Koo.  Angel needs to have one that did not take (osseointegrate) replaced later this year.  The dental implants, all replacing molar teeth, have been tough on Cabrera.  Following last autumn’s BMW Championship, Cabrera decided to shut it down for four months to get his dental issues addressed.

Dental Implant Infection

Food collecting around teeth and tooth implants is not uncommon. And unquestionably some areas collect more food than others; that has a lot to do with “local anatomy,” a fancy way of saying the local shape and position of the teeth relative to one another. If the teeth are not perfectly aligned with normal tight contact relationships, food material is not deflected away from the gum tissues effectively. Therefore, it collects causing stagnation, or more damaging, food impaction may occur.  This can possible lead to a dental implant infection. 

This is an important question and the current wisdom is not to have implants placed until jaw and facial growth are complete. Although it varies from person to person, growth of the jaws in most cases is not complete until late teens. Of course, we are faced with the dilemma of waiting for the optimal time to place dental implants so that they will succeed on the one hand, and respecting the psychological needs of a teenager missing front teeth on the other.

Tooth Implants

Allergies to metals (elements) and metallics (alloys – compounds of two or more metals) can cover a lot of ground and really can open the proverbial can of worms. So let me give a overview for the sake of clarity. Allergy is a response of the body’s immune (resistance) system that recognizes substances, whether living or non-living. Four types of allergic reactions are known which includes initiation of a specific (antibody) response to the offending entity. When the normally protective immune system, which defends us from bacteria, viruses, pollens and more causes an exaggerated response that is not protective, it is known as allergy. Allergic responses can be as minimal as a mild rash to, in rare cases, death from a multi-system shutdown known as anaphylaxis (“ana” – without; “phylaxis” – protection). You can become allergic to virtually anything, and at any time, including metals.

Dental Implants

Aging dental bridges are a maintenance headache and a recipe for oral-health disaster. They are difficult to floss, often decay, and require replacement with longer bridges. According to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID), dental bridges that need to be replaced for any reason should be replaced with permanent dental implants.  Here is some dental implants information for you.

Dental Implants

Dental implant information is not hard to come by. Hopefully, this post will answer any question you can possible think of concerning dental implants. A dental implant is a small titanium screw that serves as the replacement for the root portion of a missing natural tooth. Tooth implant treatment can be placed in either the upper or lower jaws. Due to the biocompatible properties of titanium, a dental implant fuses with the bone and becomes a good anchor for the replacement tooth. Dental implants can be used in solutions for replacing single or multiple teeth that are missing.