First, x-rays will be taken to see if your bone loss is significant enough to prevent you from
getting traditional dental implants. From there, a treatment plan can be discussed to determine
how to restore your beautiful smile! Here’s what can be done if you’re lacking jaw bone to
support dental implants.

Bone Grafting

If your dentist finds that you are missing a significant amount of bone in your jaw that would
more than likely impact the success of your dental implants, he or she may suggest bone
grafting.

Bone grafting is a procedure where bone is taken from a different area of your body and
applied to your jaw, where it’ll heal for 4-6 months until it’s strong enough to support your
dental implant. Your oral surgeon may also offer a synthetic material that can be used in place
of actual bone, and may help speed up the process.

After your bone graft is complete, your jaw should now be able to support regular dental
implants without any problem. You and your dentist or oral surgeon can decide if this is the
right option for you.

All-on- Four Dental Implants

If you lack bone in your jaw and are missing most of your natural teeth, you may be able to
consider all-on- four dental implants. This is a procedure where only 4-6 dental implants are
placed in your jaw in places where there would be enough bone to support the implants.

After these implants heal, your dentist will construct a bridge that will be permanently attached
to the dental implants. These are not the same as dentures and will not be able to be removed.
All-on- four dental implants provide the sturdiness of regular dental implants with only a few
implants placed.

If you’re in need of a full set of teeth but are worried about your bone loss, talk with your
dentist to discover if all-on- four dental implants would be an option for you.

Mini Dental Implants

You may be able to qualify for dental implants without getting bone grafting with mini dental implants. These are a smaller, more compact version of traditional dental implants that are typically used for the front teeth or incisors. Even if there’s not enough bone to support regular dental implants, your dentist may suggest mini dental implants. Other than their size, mini dental implants aren’t much different than regular dental implants. You may not be able to use these for certain missing teeth, such as molars, but you and your dentist can discuss if mini dental implants are an option for you based on your unique smile!

Are you worried that you won’t be able to get dental implants because of bone loss? Schedule
an appointment to talk with your dentist today about dental implants to discuss your options.
From mini dental implants to bone grafting and all-on- four implants, you can get the smile of
your dreams without compromising!

The post I Have Bone Loss, Can I Still Get Dental Implants? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Because of the lost bone in your jaw over time, dentures can become loose and not fit properly. When this happens, your dentures begin to rub in places that they didn’t before. This can cause sore areas in your mouth from the improper fit. If left untreated, this can cause inflammation and even infections in the mouth. When your dentures become uncomfortable and begin to rub in your mouth, it’s time to visit your dentist!

Gastrointestinal Problems

When dentures no longer fit snugly in your mouth, you can begin to have problems chewing. Loose or ill-fitting dentures don’t make it easy to chew food. You begin to chew food less thoroughly. When this happens, you can have stomach problems resulting from food that’s not been chewed enough. When your stomach needs to digest these larger food particles, indigestion can result.

Headaches

Your dentures shouldn’t cause you any pain. If you find that your dentures don’t fit the way they used to, you could begin having headaches. The wrong fit can cause your bite to change in addition to your chewing habits. This could create tension in areas where there wasn’t tension before, as your jaw and teeth may be compensating for the ill-fitting dentures. If you begin having dull headaches or earaches, talk to your dentist!

Trouble Speaking

When your dentures just don’t fit right, speaking can feel like a chore. You may mispronounce words or be anxious about your dentures looking askew in your mouth. Our teeth help us to pronounce words correctly and smile with confidence. When your dentures aren’t fitting correctly, you may hide your smile or avoid speaking because of anxiety or fear.

What Can You Do?

If you notice any type of change in your dentures, it’s time for a visit to your dentist! Since people who wear dentures are susceptible to jaw bone loss year after year, it’s inevitable that your dentures will change. The only way to retain your facial structure in addition to your jaw bone after losing teeth is to take advantage of dental implants. Dental implants actually encourage new jaw bone growth and never need to be replaced or changed thanks to their sturdiness and similarity to your natural teeth!

Talk to your dentist about changes in your dentures or the benefits of getting dental implants. You may even be a candidate for all-on- four dental implants, where a denture is adhered to only four dental implants in your mouth rather than getting dental implants to replace all of your teeth. Dentures can be challenging because they change over time—talk to your dentist about what you can do today!

Image courtesy of artur84 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The post Avoid the Impact of Ill-Fitting Dentures appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

What Are All-on- Four Dental Implants?

All-on- Four dental implants allow you to get only four to six dental implants and get a custom set of teeth that permanently attach to the implants for a beautiful, perfect smile. The cost is lower than getting a full set of dental implants and you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of dental implants without having to replace all of your teeth with them.

Benefits of All-on- Four Dental Implants

All-on- Four dental implants allow you to take advantage of the benefits that dental implants offer while only getting four or six dental implants. This includes the strength and stability that dental implants give, as they’re anchored securely into your jawbone and they never need to be replaced. With dentures, people often worry about them falling out, sliding around, or appearing uneven in their mouths. None of these are concerns with All-on- Four dental implants, which are secure and fully functional for your smile.

Enjoy eating, smiling, and talking with your beautiful set of teeth securely attached to your dental implants. Dental implants also allow you the benefit of re-growing some of the bone in your jaw, therefore helping to keep your cheeks from appearing sunken from tooth loss and retain a youthful appearance.

All-on-Four dental implants offer you complete functionality, restore your appearance, and allow you to be confident and comfortable with your smile again. All-on- Four dental implants may even be able to be completed in one day if your dentist makes your acrylic teeth replacement in-office.

Who Is a Candidate?

All-on- Four dental implants are meant to permanently replace your missing teeth, so talk with your dentist about whether or not you’d be a candidate for the procedure. You need to have the proper amount of bone in your jaw in order to support the dental implants. It’s also important that your mouth and gum tissue is healthy to maximize your chances of healing after the procedure.

Dental implants offer you a great alternative to dentures, but All-on-Four dental implants can offer you an easier procedure that competes with the security and functionality that dental implants offer. Restore your smile and ask your dentist about All-on-Four dental implants if you’re missing all, or many, of your natural teeth to see if you’d qualify for this procedure!

The post All-on-Four Dental Implants Are Your Denture Alternative appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

There are several different types of dental implants. Individual implants replace one tooth with one implant, and this is a good choice for someone who has just one or two teeth missing. For someone who is edentulous, which means they have no teeth at all, implants would involve the placement of several metal posts that an arch of artificial teeth would then be attached to. One procedure, called All-on-Four, involves only four implants per arch. Full implants usually involve six to eight implants. Mini-implants are a much faster option that under some circumstances can be completely finished in just one appointment.

All of these types of dental implants have crowns (artificial teeth) that are permanently fixed to the implants. This means that unlike dentures, they are not removable and will not slip or shift. You take care of your implants by brushing them the same way you do with natural teeth. There is no need to purchase adhesives, special cleaners or special brushes or cups. While there is no doubt that implants have a higher upfront cost than dentures, remember that with dentures, you will spend the rest of your life repeatedly purchasing cleaners and adhesives, as well as paying for adjustments, relining and replacement dentures.

Getting dental implants is a big step, and before making a decision you should get as much information as you can about different types of implants and the implant procedure that is best for you. If you are in the Washington D.C. and Bethesda area,
contact Prosthetic Dentistry of Washington D.C. to set up an appointment and see if you are a good candidate for implants.

The post The Dental Implant Advantage appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

All-on-Four implants resemble dentures in a way, but they are permanent implants. They require four titanium posts that are implanted into the bones through the gums. Four posts for each dental arch, top and bottom, for a total of eight posts. The arches are fixed to the posts, and when the process is complete, the patient has permanent dental implants that function in the same way as traditional implants. The good news is that All-on-Four doesn’t require as much bone in the jaw as regular implants, so they often work for people who have a degree of bone loss.

Bone loss happens gradually after natural teeth are lost. If you wear dentures, they don’t stop bone loss. Implants, including All-on-Four, do stop bone loss. The titanium posts eventually fuse to your jaw bone and become part of it, preventing the bone from deteriorating.

People with All-on-Four implants are able to function very much like people with natural teeth. Unlike dentures, the implants don’t slip or allow food to get caught between them and the gums. All-on-Four implants cannot be removed by the patient, so they are cared for just like real teeth, with brushing and flossing.

All-on-Four implants are better than dentures because they give you a stronger bite force, which allows you to eat more foods. In addition, the upper arch does not cover the roof of your mouth the way that an upper denture does. This exposes taste buds that a denture covers, and eliminates the problem many denture wearers have of food sticking to the top plate.

The cost of All-on-Four implants is generally less than traditional implants. For people who find the expense of full implants prohibitive, All-on-Four provide an affordable solution. Denture wearers spend a lifetime buying denture adhesives and cleansers, as well as fees for denture repair or replacement. These costs are eliminated with All-on-Four implants, making them a more cost-effective option in the long run.

If you are considering dental implants for your smile and are wondering if All-on-Four are a good treatment option for you, have a conversation with your dental implant specialist today.

The post Straight talk on All-on-Four dental implants appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.