Summary: A missing tooth is no longer the catastrophic event that it once was. Thanks to new technology like dental implants, your dentist can fully restore your smile. Continue reading to learn more about dental implants.

Author Resources: Dr. Basel Badawi and Dr. Chau Hoang, Boston dentists, offer professional dental services to their patients in Boston. These dentists in Boston graduated from the Boston University School of Dental Medicine and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine respectively. Their practice offers services such as teeth whitening, dental implants, veneers, crowns and many other services to meet all their patients’ needs.

http://www.citidentalboston.com

Dental Implants: The Most Complete Solution For Missing Teeth

In the past, having a tooth knocked out or needing to be removed was a very serious event. At one point, dentures were the only option to replace teeth and dental bridges later joined them as another option. Today, dentists are now able to offer dental implant surgery as a third option to replace teeth. A dental implant is a replacement tooth root that is placed in your missing tooth’s bone socket and attached directly to your jawbone. It acts as an anchor for a replacement tooth. If you think you need to undergo a tooth replacement procedure, talk to your dentist about dental implants.

How A Dental Implant Is Installed

The first step for you if you are thinking about getting a tooth replacement procedure is to have a conversation with your dentist. He or she will be able to let you know if you are a candidate for dental implants and go over the financial information with you. To receive implants, you must have enough gum material and jawbone to effectively support the implant. Once you and your dentist have decided that a dental implant is the right option for you, he or she will begin the procedure by anesthetizing your teeth and inserting the implant into the bone socket of your missing tooth. After securely fastening the implant to your jawbone, you will need to wait approximately six to twelve weeks for your mouth to fully heal. During the healing process, your gums will heal around the implant, further securing it in place in your mouth.

When your mouth is completely healed, your dentist will next attach a small connector post to the implant. He or she will then take detailed impressions of the area in order to create a replacement tooth that will fit in correctly with the rest of your teeth. The new crown will be constructed with coloring that looks exactly like your current teeth. Once the crown has been constructed, your dentist will attach it to the connector post and the process will be complete.

Why Dental Implants?

Dental implants are an effective way to replace your teeth for a few different reasons. The first is their permanence. With proper dental care, it is not uncommon for an implant to last for the rest of a person’s life. In addition, it is not overly difficult to take care of dental implants and maintain them. To do so, you simply need to brush, floss and see your dentist for regular cleanings and checkups. This is in stark contrast to options like dentures, where you are required to regularly clean them.

To learn more about dental implants or to schedule an appointment, contact your dentist in Boston today.

Here is a full break down!

Have you ever wondered why the American Dental Association and your dentist recommend you come back every six months? It’s because regular dental visits are essential for the maintenance of healthy teeth and gums. And in between those examinations, it’s important that you work to keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy. If you need additional help, your dentist may even suggest more frequent visits.

What Goes On During A Regular Visit

Checking your teeth for tooth decay is just one part of a thorough dental examination. During your checkup appointment, your dentist (or dental hygienist) will likely evaluate the health of your gums, perform a head and neck examination (to look for anything out of the ordinary) and examine your mouth for any indications of oral cancer, diabetes or vitamin deficiencies. Don’t be surprised if your dentist also examines your face, bite, saliva and movement of your lower jaw joints (TMJs). Your dentist or dental hygienist will then clean your teeth and stress the importance of you maintaining good oral hygiene at home between visits.

Many dentists will pay special attention to plaque and tartar. This is because plaque and tartar can build up in a very short time if good oral hygiene is not practiced between visits. Food, beverages and tobacco can stain teeth as well. If not removed, soft plaque can harden on the teeth and irritate the gum tissue. If not treated, plaque can lead to gum disease.

During your regularly scheduled dental appointments, your dentist will likely look at your gums, mouth, tongue and throat. There are several routine parts to a dental examination.

The Head And Neck Examination

Your dentist will start off by:

• Examining your face
• Examining your neck
• Checking your lymph nodes
• Checking your lower jaw joints (TMJs)

The Clinical Dental Examination

Next, your dentist assesses the state of your teeth and gums by:

• Examining the gums
• Looking for signs of gum disease
• Checking for loose teeth
• Looking at the tissues inside of your mouth
• Examining your tongue
• Checking your bite
• Looking for visual evidence of tooth decay
• Checking for broken teeth
• Checking for damaged fillings
• Looking for changes in the gums covering teeth
• Evaluating any dental appliance you have
• Checking the contact between your teeth
• Taking X-rays

The Dental Cleaning

During the final part of the dental visit, your dental professional cleans your mouth using these methods:

• Checking the cleanliness of your teeth and gums
• Removing any plaque and tartar
• Polishing your teeth
• Flossing between your teeth
• Reviewing recommended brushing and flossing techniques

Once your examination and cleaning have been performed, they’ll tell you about the health of your teeth and gums and then make any additional recommendations. It’s important that you see your dentist every six months and that they give you routine examination and cleaning. Remember, by seeing your dentist on a regular basis and following daily good oral hygiene practices at home, you are more likely to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

Whitening treatments don't permanently whiten teeth. If you expose your teeth to foods and beverages that cause staining you may see the whiteness start to fade in as little as 1 month after treatment. Those who avoid foods and beverages that stain may be able to wait one year or longer before another whitening treatment or touch-up is needed.

You worked hard to get your teeth white. Here are some tips to help maintain your pearly whites.

• Avoid the consumption of or exposure to products that stain your teeth, such as coffee, tea, and red wine. If you do choose to consume beverages that stain, consider using a straw so that the liquid bypasses your front teeth.
• Brush or rinse immediately after consuming stain-causing beverages or foods.
• Follow good oral hygiene practices. Brush your teeth at least twice daily and floss at least once daily to remove plaque. Use a whitening toothpaste (once or twice a week only) to remove surface stains and prevent yellowing. Use a regular toothpaste the rest of the time.
• Consider touch-up treatments. Depending on the whitening method used, you may need a touch-up every 6 months or after a year or two. If you smoke or drink lots of stain-causing beverages, you may need a touch up more often.

The average money spent on products in the US varies. Take a look and see what we invest our money in.

• $2.025 billion is the amount spent on Hallowen candy in 2001
• $1.8 billion is the annual amount spent on toothpaste
•  $775 million is the annual amount spent on toothbrushes
• $300 billion is the amount spent on lottery tickets 
• $100 billion is the amount spent on hair care

• $50 billion is the amount spent on dental care

Interesting huh?

Many people have heard that children no longer have cavities. It is true; many children do not have cavities, but 50% still do. In fact, 80% of the cavities nationwide are found in 20% of children. In many children, the first cavities occur at about 6 years of age when the first permanent molars erupt and the spaces close between the back teeth. Suddenly, the teeth contact, food collects, flossing is not done, and cavities start.

We have found cavities on your child?s teeth. These cavities are either in the grooves on the biting surfaces or in between teeth as noted on the cavity decaying x-rays. The tendency to develop this type of cavity can be a life long problem. There are numerous factors that contribute to the development of cavities.

Many of these factors are out of control; for example, the makeup of your child?s saliva, the shape of their teeth, and the type of cavity producing bacteria in their mouth. However, a number of contributing factors can be controlled. These include the amount of plaque buildup on the teeth, the types of food that are consumed, and exposure to fluorides. In order to minimize or prevent these cavities from continuing to develop, we recommend the following; the 3 F?s:

1) Flossing - this should be performed EVERY NIGHT after brushing. Most children are unable to perform this adequately without your assistance. Floss aids such as Johnson & Johnson?s Wild Flossers, Oral B Floss Aid, Butler Flossmate, or the Glide Flosspick make it fun and easy to perform.

2) Fluoride - rinse with a topical fluoride rinse such as ACT or Fluorigard or brush on a prescription high-potency fluoride gel after nighttime brushing and flossing. Also, apply fluoride containing sealants on the surfaces of the permanent molars.

3) Foods- avoid in between meal snacks that have high sugar content and are sticky. Many snacks that are thought to be ?healthy? such as raisins, Fruit Roll-ups, Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers, Fun Fruits, etc. are actually candy due to their tackiness and high sugar content. Of course, candies such as Skittles, Starbursts, Gummy Bears, Gummy Worms, and Blow Pops are extremely sticky and can result in dental decay. The use of prepackaged juices as between meal drinks also exposes your child to the risk of cavities. Remember, the frequency of consuming foods, especially sugary ones, can be as important in producing cavities as the sugar content of the food. Keep snacking to a minimum and offer your child healthy snacks such as fruits and vegetables.

Having regular 6-month check ups and periodic bitewing x-rays will help to prevent and detect these problems in the future, but remember prevention starts at home!

~The Unique Dental Care Team