Q. Why should I undergo implant surgery, instead of simply wearing a denture or a bridge?

A. A natural tooth does more than enable a person to cut and grind food and look good. Teeth also are the reason the bones of the jaws exist. When natural teeth are lost, those bones lose their reason for being, and they begin to shrink. In dentistry, this is known as resorption.
For many patients, resorption is minimal, and sufficient bone remains to provide a good foundation for a full or partial denture. For other patients, however, bone loss becomes severe. When this occurs, a number of unpleasant side effects may occur:
• Loose-fitting dentures make it difficult to bite or chew properly. As a result, the range of food a person can comfortably eat becomes limited. In some cases, this limitation is sufficient to impact nutrition.
• Loose-fitting dentures often rub the underlying gums, causing persistent soreness.
• Speech may be impaired.
• Appearance is negatively impacted.
• A gag reflex could be induced.
• Self-image is affected.

Q. Does my age affect my ability to be treated with dental implants?

A. Age is rarely a consideration in dental implant treatment.
In very young patients, implants are most often utilized to replace teeth lost due to trauma. In older patients, they are used to address teeth lost to disease.
In the past, bone resorption sometimes made it difficult to treat patients if tooth loss had occurred long before implant treatment was sought. Today, new technologies have made it possible to rebuild the bone so that patients that have been without teeth for decades may still be treatable.

Q. Is the treatment only for people who have lost all their natural teeth, or can it be used to replace only one or two teeth?

A. Implants may be used to replace any number of natural teeth. Among young adults in particular, an implant is often used to replace a single tooth lost to an athletic, bicycling, or other accident, or to provide artificial teeth where natural teeth never developed. In older patients, implants are often used to replace an entire mouthful of teeth.

Q. How long after the loss of teeth can I be treated with dental implants?

A. Until fairly recently, it was sometimes difficult to treat patients who had lost their teeth many years before because so much bone had been resorbed by the time they sought treatment. Today, however, many materials have become available to to build up or graft the natural ridge, creating sufficient bone for implant treatment. As a result, timing is no longer as critical as it once was. Implants can be placed into sockets where teeth have been extracted or lost in an accident, and we put implants into jaw bones that lost their natural teeth roots decades earlier. If a tooth, or teeth, have been missing for years, quite often a considerable amount of bone has been lost from disease. If the teeth happen to be in the front where aesthetics are extremely important, the ridge is built up with a graft first to restore it to its original shape and size. The implants are placed only after the ridge has healed. This procedure is done to give the most natural look possible.

Free Tooth Whitening for Life!

Want to make sure that your smile never gets dull?

We offer a special program to all of our patients. If you have gone through our Zoom one hour whitening program and faithfully come for your regular recare appointments, we will provide the whitening material you need FREE for life!

For the summer months we have an additional special program which reduced the fee for that initial Zoom session by $300.

Remember, your smile is the first thing people notice. Make it sparkle.

http://drmarkdibona.com/ourservices.html#zoom

Are you looking for a brighter straighter smile? We are certified Invisalign providers. We provide a free Invisalign consultation to see if "wireless" braces are right for you. If you decide to go ahead, we will whiten your smile using the Invisalign trays for FREE.
Go to our website at:
http://www.drmarkdibona.com/ourservices.html
or call us at 603-7724352

Visit our website at:

http://www.DiBonaDentalGroup.com

After 35 years of placing and restoring dental implants, I thought this blog would be a good place to be able to provide some in depth information to anyone who is interested.

First, let me explain what a dental implant is. A dental implant is an artificial replacement for the root of a tooth. It is usually made of an alloy of the metal titanium, which is very bio-compatable. Over the years other materials (chrome cobalt steel, pure titanium, zirconium, and even artificially crystalized saphire) have been used. There are several shapes. the most common is a cylinder or root for implant. There are also plate form (flat implants), and implants which are custom cast to fit a CAT scan generated image of a jaw.

Second, who can benefit from a dental implant? Almost anyone who is missing one or more teeth and is in average health can benefit from dental implants.

Third, who does implant surgery? Any licensed dentist can legally place dental implants. Certain organizations, like the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, provide credentialing with very stringent guidelines and testing. The levels, Associate Fellow, Fellow, and Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology, all represent in ascending order the qualifications met.

Fourth, what does a dental implant do? A single implant can replace the root of a single tooth. a post and a crown (very much like the post and crown placed on a normal tooth) are added to the implant after the patients bone has grown into it. Two to six implants can be used to anchor a loose denture. Six to eight or more implants can provide non- removable teeth for the top or bottom jaw.

Five, does it hurt? using local anesthetic and sometimes twilight sedation make the procedure comfortable. Afterward, we prescribe medication to control any discomfort.

Six, how much does it cost? This is a tough one to answer. There are so many variables! We do offer a free consultation including X-rays to be better able to provide an accurate answer. Call us at 603-772-4352 if you are interested.