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Monthly Archives

June 2012

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.

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