Developments in Medical Technology Deliver Advances in Dental Implants

By Dr. Helaine Smith

Now more than ever, dental implants are the ideal way to replace lost or missing teeth.

In the old days, when you lost a tooth, a dentist had limited options for replacing it and usually relied on a dental bridge. Placing a bridge involved grinding down adjacent teeth; the resulting bridge lasted approximately 10 years with good care.

With recent advances in medical technology, however, dentists and periodontists can replace missing teeth using dental implants. Although dental implants have been around for years, technological advances have made it easier than ever to precisely place implants – ensuring your new tooth or teeth last a lifetime.

The introduction of cone-beam CT (CBCT) scanner just a few years ago enables dentists and periodontists to create a 360˚ view of a your facial structure – allowing your dental professional to precisely locate the jaw bone, nasal passageways and airways, and most important, facial nerves.

With these exciting new scans, dentists and periodontists can determine with exact certainty where to place an implant – and they can better evaluate which patients are viable candidates for the procedure.

Mini Dental Implants™ represent another advance in the field of implant technology. These FDA-approved implants are narrow enough to be inserted directly though the gum tissue and into the underlying bone – which usually eliminates the need to surgically cut the gum tissue.

Often, the procedure can be done in about an hour in the dentist’s office, without the need for stitches, and with minimum discomfort. Mini Dental Implants are ideal for single tooth replacements and in crown and bridge applications.

Dental implants have become the first choice of dentists and patients for a host of reasons:

• Dental implants save teeth because they do not rely on adjacent teeth for support, as bridges do. And, surrounding teeth do not have to be ground down in order to fit the bridge or "partials." Your natural teeth are not affected.

• Implants can help prevent the loss of bone and gum that often accompany dentures and bridgework, because they function more like your natural teeth.

• Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth. No one can tell that they’re not natural, and unlike dentures, they are secure, eliminating disconcerting instability and clicks.

• Implants are much easier to care for than bridges, reducing the likelihood of decay.

To find out if you’re a candidate for implants, consult your dental professional. (If your dentist tells you he doesn't "do" implants or that a bridge is perfectly fine, it’s time to find a new dentist.) Generally, you must be in good general and oral health, have adequate bone in the jaw to support the implant, and have healthy gums (i.e. no gum disease).

Do you want to replace missing teeth?

At our Boston office, we offer dental implants, as well as Mini Dental Implants, to replace missing teeth. We routinely perform CBCT scans on implant patients -- offering you the highest standard of care and ensuring that your smile will be as natural as possible.

Our in-house expert in implant dentistry, Dr. John Favaloro, is a Board-Certified Diplomate of the American Academy of Periodontology and a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry. Dr. Favaloro combines expertise in periodontics, implants and oral medicine – and works directly with Dr. Smith to ensure your smile is healthy and gorgeous.

To learn more about our implant dentistry services, visit our website or call our office and speak with Mary, our office concierge, at 617.327.1350.

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By phone: 617.327.1350
Through our Website: www.helainesmithdmd.com
Email: helainesmithdmd@aol.com