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Implant Dentistry

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.

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 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.

Feb 29

Getting Snap-on Smile online

By Snap-on Smile

I heard of a company called ____________that lets you get snap on smile online.  They send you the kit to make the impressions at your house and send it to the lab so you don’t have to go to the doctor’s office. The company had some bad reviews about people who paid their money but didn’t get their order. I don’t really trust that company, but wondered what other online company you’d recommend.

Brent W.- Little Rock

Brent,

There is a reason there are bad reviews for a company that says you can get Snap-on Smile online. Any company that tries to sell you that service isn’t being honest with you. There is much more to Snap-on Smile than taking your impressions. But even with just the impressions, there is a lot more to it than this company has led you to believe. The impressions have to be done without any distortions. Not even all dental assistants are capable of doing that.

Impressions aside, there are many other reasons it can’t be done with an at-home kit. Snap-on Smile is made by the Den-Mat Company. You’ll have to tell their lab, the exact shading you want for the smile in dental terminology, as well as how much facial bulk to allow. After that, you’ll need to know how to fit it to your bite. In most cases, even after it comes back from the lab, it isn’t a perfect fit and will have to be adjusted which requires special tools. If a company is telling you that you can get it by buying a kit online and avoiding the dentist, they are lying to you.

There is another reason you shouldn’t order Snap-on Smile from an online company. The Den-Mat company is required by law to only fill orders from licensed dentists. In order for an online company to place an order they would have to misrepresent themselves that you were treated by a licensed dentist. I’d avoid this at all costs.

If price is a consideration for why you’re wanting to skip the dental office, you could shop around and see where you can get them the least expensively. Be aware though that you’re probably sacrificing appearance for price. Generally, the higher priced dentists have more artistic skill and are in higher demand. But, to give you a place to start shopping around, for the six front teeth the lab cost is $250.  For all the upper teeth the lab cost is $400. What each dentist charges above those lab fees varies from dentist to dentist.

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

Feb 08

Dentures make me gag

By Dental Implants

I recently had to get dentures because of some teeth that needed to be pulled. I am having such a hard time wearing it because it makes me gag. Can you help me?

Emily B.-Arkansas

Emily,

Occasionally denture wearers complain about gagging, especially if the plate has to cross their palate. My recommendation is to get dental implants instead. With dental implants, a titanium post is surgically placed into your jawbone to serve as your tooth root, and a crown is placed on top to serve as your tooth. It is an ideal solution for replacing missing teeth, and is the closest you can come to having your own teeth back. There is no gagging, because nothing will cross your palate.

There is an additional benefit too, of preserving your jawbone. Your dentist may have already warned you, but when you have a tooth removed, your body begins reabsorbing the minerals from your jawbone. So, while your denture may last, your jawbone won’t. Placing an implant into the jawbone signals to your body that your tooth is still there and it retains the bone.

Hope this helps.

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

Dec 15

Is this a fair price for a dental bridge?

By Dental Bridge, Dentures

I was told by my dentist that I need a five unit bridge. I have a great deal of bone loss due to gum disease, and my teeth are loose, so my dentist is afraid that a partial will put too much stress on my teeth. I was quoted $5500 in addition to extraction costs. I this a fair and reasonable price?

Tory from Houston

Dear Tory,

The fee seems reasonable for Texas. However, I’m not sure why your dentist is suggesting a dental bridge instead of a removable partial denture. A removable partial is less risky and will place less stress on the adjacent teeth.  Also, a bridge puts much less stress on the teeth it attaches to. You would need to scrap using the dental bridge and start over again if you have an issue with one of those teeth it is resting on. If you go with a partial, then you can add a tooth to it later with much less work and expense.

What I encourage you do is get a second opinion to find out if the bridge is the best way to go.

You can read more about this procedure here on our website.

Oct 21

NDS Care is now offering Snap-on Smile

By Snap-on Smile

Snap-on Smile is an affordable, non-invasive approach to restorative and cosmetic dentistry. Now you can achieve amazing results quickly and for much less cost compared to traditional dental makeovers like porcelain veneers.

The Snap-on Smile is made from crystallized acetyl resin at the Den-Mat laboratory located in Santa Maria, CA. To get started, just schedule your appointment with one of our qualified NDS Care dentists. During your visit with us, we will simply take an impression of your teeth to create a hardened plaster model. Then we send the model and detailed instructions outlining the smile design of your choice to the Den-Mat laboratory.

If properly taken care of, the Snap-on Smile should last up to four years, and it is even durable enough to wear while eating.

Patients who use the Snap-on Smile claim that they have gained higher self-esteem and more confidence.

To learn more about this affordable and quick smile makeover option, call us at (888) 873-4606!

Jun 29

How can I fix my really crooked smile ?

By Dental Implants

I am 35 years old and I have been living with a complicated situation on the upper right section of my smile for almost 20 years now. I have a decaying infant canine which never came out because of the adult canine growing in. The adult grew in the wrong place and never displaced the babyone.

My adult canine #11 grew in over the top of bicuspids #12. Also, I’m told that  #13  is too far away from where it belongs and is too complicated in its root structure to be moved with traditional braces.  # 11 is partially obscuring the two bicuspids behind it and creating a triangular inner area which is difficult to keep clean. It also happens to  be very unattractive.  My general dentist isn’t even sure what kind of decay might be going on up in there, but so far it doesn’t hurt or have an odor so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

The whole area needs some serious work, but I’m not sure what the best option is. Do I extract the canines and get braces to widen the space where the baby was, so that a full-sized canine implant can be put in?   Or do I extract the canines and get a bridge?   Or… can something else be done with a smaller implant + veneers, or something to create the illusion of normal teeth ?   Please send me some input…I want to start figuring out which road I need to go down to try and fix this finally.

– Rhonda in Pebble Beach

Rhonda,

#12 (your first bicuspid) can be made to look like a canine from the front, so if your canine can’t be moved, I’d consider that option, too, after having the permanent and baby canines extracted. Or one dental implant could work – replacing the baby canine with a permanent canine implant. I wouldn’t do the bridge to replace the canine because your bone will shrink in that position over time if you do that and it will be hard to keep it looking natural. But it’s really tough for me to say without seeing you, seeing the x-rays, and doing a clinical examination. You sound like you have a very interesting case–I’d love to have had you come in my door and be given the opportunity to solve it. 

But if you don’t choose my services,  keep in mind that I recommend that you not ask a  general dentist to do this.  My recommendation – find an excellent cosmetic dentist and trust his or her judgment. 

 

Dr. Lavacca 

 

　

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