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All Posts By

Dr. Anthony LaVacca

Jul 10

Can my partial denture be replaced with implants?

By Dental Implants, Partial Dentures

As a result of gum disease, I had two bottom front teeth removed. I am wearing a partial denture to replace the teeth. Even though I had gum disease, is it possible to get two dental implants so I can get rid of the partial denture? The partial is not comfortable. Besides that I am only 37 yrs old and the thought of wearing a denture is depressing. I regret having the teeth pulled. – Katie P

Katie – Severe gum disease cause teeth to become infected, and the result may be that the teeth must be extracted. Extraction can prevent the infection from spreading to other teeth. Pulling the infected teeth was the best preventive measure for your adjacent teeth.

Bone grafting can build up your jawbone in the previously infected area so it will support dental implants. If you are not a candidate for bone grafting, a dental bridge might be an option for replacing your teeth. A dental bridge involves the missing teeth and the teeth on either side of them. The adjacent teeth have crowns placed on them and the replacement crown is suspended between them.

Consult with a credentialed implant dentist to discuss your options.

This blog post is sponsored by Naperville implant dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca, who is an American Board-certified prosthodontist.

Jun 30

How do I know if I qualify for dental implant bone grafting?

By Bone Grafting, Dental Implant Mistakes, Dental Implants, Prosthodontist

I’ve had eight teeth missing for over 20 years. I’ve decided to get dental implants, but I think that I will need bone grafting. I know that not everyone qualifies for it. What is the criteria? Keith C. from Beachwood, OH

Keith – If you are generally in good health, it’s likely that you will be able to receive bone grafting. This is an area where Dr. LaVacca is quite experienced, and sometimes he is able to do the grating despite certain health issues. He thoroughly reviews the medical history of his patients and makes the determination. You will be able to find a qualified implant dentist to make the determination for you.

Implant dentistry is not a recognized specialty, so check the credentials of dentists to verify that they have extensive training and certification in implant placement. Verify that he or she has membership with implant associations that are well respected, such as the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. Without the adequate training and experience, serious implant mistakes can occur.

You can review Dr. LaVacca’s credentials on his Naperville prosthodontist web page to get an idea of what you should look for in a dentist who is qualified to do your bone grafting and dental implants.

This blog post is sponsored by implant dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca of Naprville.

Jun 12

Are dentures my only option?

By Dental Implant Mistakes, Dental Implants, Dentures

I am proud to say that I am a recovered drug addict, but my habit ruined a lot of teeth. They cannot be saved. I’m a 27 yr old man with lots of rotten teeth. Every time I had an interview I could see people looking at my teeth. Someone finally gave me a chance and now I make good money the honest way. It still bothers me because I know that my social life is affected by it too. I have the money to do something about the way I look now. Who wants dentures at 27? Please tell me my options. Thanks. Mike from Detroit.

Mike – Congratulations on your recovery. What an accomplishment!

It’s understandable that you don’t want dentures at 27 years of age. Dentures are one option for replacing teeth, and they are certainly preferred to being without any teeth, which affects your ability to eat and maintain your health.

When you can afford an alternative, dental implants are the best choice, and they are a permanent option. An implant has the same structure as a natural tooth. There is a titanium root form that is surgically embedded in your jawbone. When the jawbone heals, a replacement tooth or crown is placed on the root form.

The crown can have the same color and look of a natural tooth, if it’s done by an artistic cosmetic dentist who has been specifically trained in the techniques required to give you a beautiful smile.

When the work is completed, the implants will have the same look, feel and function of natural teeth. Your damaged teeth will be replaced with a beautiful smile. You and others won’t be able that they are not your natural teeth.

But not every dentist can give you successful and long-lasting implants. Check the credentials of the dentist to ensure that he or she has extensive training in and experience with dental implants. Otherwise, there are some costly and physically painful mistakes that can occur. Implant mistakes can even lead to needing completely new implants.

Read about the training and experience of implant dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca in Naperville. You’ll have a good idea of what to look for to get a beautiful smile makeover. Best wishes and congratulations again on the new you.

This blog post is sponsored by Naperville implant dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca.

Jun 07

Should my son’s baby teeth be extracted

By Pediatric Dentist

I have a 2o month old little boy. He recently had an injury that affected his front teeth. There is now green discoloration on them. I’ve heard that could be because I gave him a bottle, but I didn’t give him one often, so I think it is from the injury. Do I need to have his front teeth extracted? If so, how do I keep his other teeth from shifting?

Francis in Wyoming

Francis,

Bottle feeding doesn’t actually cause discoloration. It can cause tooth decay if you put them to bed with a bottle, because then the formula just sits on their teeth. The green discoloration is probably from bacteria. It is not unusual for children to get weird stains on their teeth. As their body adapts to their environment, it goes away naturally. I would just take your son to a dentist to have his teeth cleaned and examined.

If you had his teeth extracted, you could have space maintainers placed in order to keep his other teeth from shifting. However, I don’t recommend extraction because he’ll need his teeth for proper speech development. Go see a good pediatric dentist and then take it from there.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville Dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca.

You may be interested to read more about Baby Bottle Tooth Decay.

May 26

Bad smell around my veneers

By Porcelain Veneers

I had some porcelain veneers done about six months ago. I LOVE how they look, but I’ve developed a horrible smell around it. Whenever I floss, or rub the gum around the area, it smells like vomit. I have a hard time not getting sick from the smell. Even my boss has mentioned it. My dentist said I’m just not cleaning it well enough, but I’m very faithful with my oral hygiene. I’m using Supersmile Toothpaste, as well as Dr. Katz’s products. I’m brushing and flossing after each meal, but within 20 minutes the smell is back. Is there anything that can be done? I’m desperate.

Mercedes- Orlando, FL

Mercedes,

This is a serious situation. It is important to get it taken care of right away. I would go to a different dentist. Though you like how the porcelain veneers look, something was done incorrectly. I suspect you have overhangs or some other marginal defect under there.  You were fortunate to have a bad smell that warned you of the situation. This will lead to gum disease, or even your teeth coming loose. Get it looked into as soon as possible.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville Dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca.

May 26

Yellow build up

By Gum Disease

My teeth have a yellow build up on them that I can scrape off. But, whenever I do scrape it off it seems like I’m taking most of my tooth off. What is it and why is there so much?

MaryAnn L from Missouri

MaryAnn,

The build up is called Calculus or Tartar. It actually comes from the minerals in your saliva. As those minerals build up it is called calculus. Once it becomes visible it is called Tartar. Your dental hygienist removes it at each dental appointment. If you have a lot of it and it feels strange once you scrape it off, that is an indication that you haven’t been to the dentist in a while.

It’s tempting to think it isn’t necessary to go, but the build-up of calculus is very damaging and will lead to gum disease if it isn’t regularly removed.

You may also want to visit our page on prevention.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville Dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca.

May 14

My dentures keep falling out

By Dentures

I can’t keep my dentures in. I’m in my 18th year of wearing them and they keep falling out. I don’t know if my gums are thinner or if the dentures are widening on me, but I can’t keep them in. I am afraid that one day I won’t be able to wear them anymore. Could this happen? What are my options? Thank you. Rose from Indiana

Rose – You are experiencing facial collapse, which occurs when all of your teeth are missing. The loss of your teeth is a signal to your body that the jawbone that once supported the teeth is no longer needed. So, your body resorbs the bone and uses the minerals from it elsewhere.

As the jawbone shrinkage progresses, it becomes difficult, if not impossible to wear dentures. Bone grafting will be needed to build up your jawbone.

You will then have a few options:

  1. Removable dentures – Facial collapse will continue to occur, and you will have to repeat the bone grafting procedure again.
  2. Dental implants – Each of your teeth can be replaced with a dental implant. Dental implants look and feel more like your natural teeth than any other solution. The implants will permanently prevent jawbone shrinkage. The cost is per implant.
  3. Implant overdentures – With several dental implants, your dentures can be secured to the implants. The presence of the implants will slow the progression of the jawbone shrinkage. This option is much less expensive than replacing each tooth with an implant.

This blog is sponsored by the office of Naperville implant dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca.

Apr 25

Pain after a white filling

By Fillings

About 7 months ago I had a silver filling replaced with a white filling. There was some sensitivity to the tooth afterward, but dentist said that is normal and it will get better in time. Now months later I can barely chew any food, including bread. Do you think I have an infection? Did the dentist do something wrong?

Cara C. from Minnesota.

Cara,

Without examining you I couldn’t tell you if you have an infection, though I suspect you do. When the pain is sensitivity from a dental filling it gets better. It might take a while to get better, but it will progressively improve. What you describing is the pain worsening and that is often the sign of an infection.  While it is possible your dentist did something wrong, it is equally possible that you had an underlying infection under the filling and the additional work to the tooth added stress and it began showing the signs of its infection.  I would go back to your dentist and tell him what is going on. An x-ray should be able to show something after this many months with an infection.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville Dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca.

Apr 11

Teeth don’t line up after dental implant bridge

By Dental Implant Bridge, Dental Implant Mistakes, Dental Implants

My teeth are mis-aligned. The left top and bottom teeth don’t match when I bite down. It seems that the left top teeth are way too far left from where they should meet the bottom teeth, if that makes sense. My teeth weren’t always like this though. I noticed the problem after I received a dental implant bridge to replace some missing teeth. I am thinking that this is a big problem. Your thoughts?  Thanks much. – Bridgette P. from Kansas

Bridgette – Your teeth should be aligned. It’s possible that the dental implants were incorrectly restored or incorrectly placed. This problem and various types of implant failure can occur if there is miscommunication between your restorative dentist and the surgeon who places the implants. The restorative dentist needs sufficient knowledge of implant surgery to give the surgeon precise instructions on where the implants should be placed. He or she should make a guide that will snap into your mouth to indicate the exact placement and angle of the implants.

Dental implant treatment is not a recognized specialty, so a dentist can claim to be an implant dentist without having received the extra training required to properly place implants.

Dr. Anthony is a prosthodontist who has received specialized training in tooth replacement and restoration. He performs the entire implant process—both the surgery and the tooth restoration. This prevents miscommunication that leads to implant mistakes.

This blog is sponsored by Naperville implant dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca.

Mar 13

Can you get cavities with veneers?

By Porcelain Veneers

I was considering getting porcelain veneers and wondered if I would still be able to get cavities if I got them?

Thanks for the help,

Cassie H. – Washington D.C.

Cassie,

Yes, you can still get cavities if you have dental veneers. Though you won’t get them under the veneers, it is possible to get one on the  edge or at another  part of the tooth. The cavities can be filled with white composite filling materials, just like any other cavities. Composite fillings require special bonding techniques, so you’ll want to be sure your dentist knows how to do those.  As a cosmetic dentist, I discourage people who don’t take care of their teeth from getting veneers. If you’re going to invest that kind of money, you want to have good oral hygiene habits in order to insure your investment will last.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Anthony LaVacca.

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