The Matter with Dentures

Dentures, or what your grandfather used to call “false teeth”, are the choice replacements for missing teeth that have been lost due to a variety of reasons. Dentures represent a few to a whole set of teeth, attached to plastic or metal made to fit perfectly in your mouth. And like all new dental appliances, it takes time to get used to the fit and resume your normal activities without the discomfort. All will seem well later until you realize your dentures are starting to get in the way of your daily routine. You’d begin to wish for an alternative.

Dentures have come a long way due to advances in the field and are no longer the dentures of old. However, dental implants are proving to be a more reliable alternative. Consider dentures before, they usually do not match the color of natural teeth. However that modern dentures do not mismatch in color anymore, people can still tell you’re wearing them; it’s somehow an inherent quality of dentures.

They can also cause you speech and eating problems at the start – they might be painful, too tight, or cause you to slur your words or to lisp. Old dentures can loosen their grip on teeth, slip or fall out; can cause damage to other teeth and to gums if they had become ill-fitting. And of course, the removable type of dentures require constant care; putting them on and off for cleaning or resting can scrape or erode normal tooth enamel and cause the beginnings of cavities, or hurt gum tissue. Dental implants are different; they do not cause these unwanted conditions.

Implants are securely anchored to jaw bone, preventing shifting or movement and will not loosen even as you clean them like the rest of your other teeth. They even strengthen and stabilize the jaw bone where they are fastened and promote gum health; this is unlike using dentures which are rootless so that gum and bone underneath tend to shrink. Hence, implants can better retain the shape and form of cheekbones and jawbones. They can stand alone and are natural-looking. With proper oral care, implants can last longer than dentures, even up to a lifetime.

Bellevue Dental Implants: The Reliable Alternative

Knowing these facts, would you not opt for implants instead? Bellevue dental implants are filling the need for a more stable, reliable replacement for missing dentition. Be natural-looking with implants, be more confident.

Avoiding Risks and Knowing What to Do

As with any type of surgery, there are potential risks and complications, and dental implants are no exception. Implants come with very few known risks but published success rates are very high. Firstly, the choice of a qualified and certified dental practitioner to do the job reduces your risk for complications very significantly. Failure rates are quite unlikely if get yourself an expert with a carefully planned blueprint for your implant.

Some potential problems can be avoidable and those are dependent on the decision-making and expertise of a good dentist-surgeon. Situations like poor placement of the implant and low bone quality and quantity, and specific patient populations like diabetics, cancer patients, habitual smokers, and those with periodontitis are less than ideal conditions for implants. It may happen also, that during the procedure, mistakes can occur that might damage nerve and bone material.

There is an infection involving implants called peri-implantitis, usually due to excessive biting forces on the implant or that there’s bacterial infection of the gums and bone surrounding it. You must not apply stronger forces than usual, like biting on hard objects or food, thereby overloading it. Have the infection treated as early as possible to avoid implant fracture and lost . Again, routine maintenance by your dentist helps preserve overall dental health, including that of your implant.

Dental Implants in the Hands of Bellevue Expert

Know more if you are the right candidate for dental implants by consulting first with your Bellevue professional. Have a patient risk assessment with Dr. Lee and worry no further about who’s doing your dental implant.

Rewards of Dental Implants

You know that dental implants are replacements for missing tooth roots. Tooth loss is a problem for millions of people and in spite of dental advances we continue to suffer from it. For a long time, we only have a few options to address this – we resort to bridges and dentures. They are long-lasting and reliable in themselves and still are most sought-after treatments for missing or lost teeth. Then came along dental implants.

Designed to replace the roots of missing teeth, implants provide the support and stability to your crowns. They provide a strong permanent foundation for fixed or removable dentures or bridges. Unlike natural roots, they are not subject to decay and, hence, can last a lifetime with proper oral hygiene practices.

Designed to fuse with your bone, they enhance your facial appearance, preserving bone and gum tissue that otherwise will shrink if roots are missing. And because implants do not rely on other teeth as abutments, rather stand on their own, they do not compromise the health of your other natural teeth.

You actually enjoy the rewards of dental implants on a daily basis. You have full confidence that your teeth stay in place and will not slip or fall out as you enjoy your favorite foods, as you laugh and smile and talk. You do not have the added burden of taking them off to clean, to apply adhesives, or to rest your gums. Implants improve your quality of life, preserve healthy oral structures, and are cost-effective in the long run. So, why shouldn’t almost anyone who has lost a tooth or two enjoy these rewards?

Expertise and Experience in Bellevue

Come to Overlake Dental, your place for trustworthy Bellevue dental implants, and know more about how to get the best replacements for missing teeth. Half of the rewards of this treatment is in the hands of expertise and experience.

What makes Zirconia Superior to Titanium?

Titanium is considered an everyday metal, present in foodstuff to medicine. Very low in toxicity, it is relatively safe, biocompatible, and versatile in its many applications. In dentistry, titanium is present in small amounts in toothpaste and composite filling materials. It is also used in bone-building materials. Hence, you have dental implants made out of titanium. They make strong root posts and accompanying abutment where a chosen crown fits perfectly.

Titanium dental implants have been popular solutions to missing teeth, and they last a long time. However, becoming a popular alternative is the non-allergenic, all-ceramic Zirconia dental implant.

Unlike titanium which is considered a metal and therefore can corrode, Zirconia is ceramic, bio-iert, and non-corrodible. Its color is white and with the root part embedded even in thin gums or its abutment through the artificial crown, it will barely show. This adds to its aesthetic value, more than that of metal titanium.

The CeraRoot brand of zirconia oxide dental implant is a popular choice among dentists and orthodontists as it is a one-piece design, allowing no connections for bacterial growth. It is implanted at gum level, not bone, which makes it easier to clean. Gums are more healthy around ceramic materials with bleeding and infection as very rare occurrences.

Studies have shown that titanium can cause allergy to a small percentage of patients. It’s almost unrecognizable, but must be of concern.

The Ceramic Approach: No Allergy Technology

To know if CeraRoot dental implants are for you, see Dr. Young Lee of Overlake Dental in Bellevue. It’s a one-stage surgical approach and a less invasive procedure. Enjoy the benefits of not just a no-allergy technology but many more in Bellevue.

Temporomandibular joint disorders, or TMD’s, come in the form of problems with the joint of your jawbone or the muscles that manipulate these joints. It can often be difficult to determine the cause of such disorders, but the most common causes include the following:

• Missing Teeth: If you have a missing tooth for an extended period of time, your jawbone may lose bone structure and become uneven. When this happens, your TMJ has to work harder. This is why it is important to have a dental implant installed.
• Injuries: An impact to the jaw area can result in a TMD.
• Bruxism: Excessive grinding and clenching can strain your jaw muscles.
• Arthritis: Osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis in the jaw can manifest as a TMD.
• Other Diseases: Oral cancer, gingivitis, and certain other diseases can affect the alignment of your jaw and cause a TMD.

If you feel a pain in your jaw that does not go away, there are treatment options available. Talk to your doctor to learn more about TMD’s.

Why should I have Dental Implants?

Dental implants are popular owing to their high success rates among patients. Serving the purpose as replacements for missing natural teeth, they are strong and sturdy foundations for fixed or removable teeth matching in color and look with the rest of your dentition.

If you are healthy enough to undergo oral surgery or tooth extraction, you can be considered for dental implants. However, you must have healthy gums and sufficient bone structure to support the implant. Success rates for implants depend on the care and hygiene you afford it and regular dental visits to check your progress. Other special population groups need to be further evaluated if they are suitable for dental implants – such as heavy smokers, those with heart problems or diabetes, or if undergoing chemotherapy or radiation in the head or neck region.

The main reason why you cannot let a tooth missing in the long-term is because the bone underneath the absent tooth will thin away and resorb. Implants actually stabilize bone and prevent its inevitable loss when teeth are missing. Just like natural tooth roots, implants incorporate themselves in bone, lasting for a long time.

While titanium implants are the most sought-after, owing to their optimum biochemical bonding with bone tissue so that they withstand biting forces well, there are implants that are non-metal favored by some holistic orthodontists. They have titanium’s benefits but, additionally, metal-free dental implants are hypoallergenic.

Seeking Expert Help in Bellevue

To know more about dental implants and their benefits, and to find out which option is best for you, seek out Dr. Young Lee of Overlake Dental here in Bellevue. A certified implantologist, he offers all the modern treatment choices, including the now popular metal-free Zirconia dental implants.

When you get a cavity in your tooth, it is important to bring it to your dentist for treatment as soon as you can. A failure to do so puts you at serious risk of developing a debilitating infection that will cause you significantly more pain than a cavity would. Such an infection is what dentist know as a dental abscess.

An abscess happens when the oral bacteria that is causing your cavity penetrate into the soft tissues of your mouth and infect the area around your jawbone. When this happens, you will experience pain around your mouth, jaw, throat, and face. You may also experience any of the following symptoms.

• Redness, swelling, or tenderness in the area of your mouth or face
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fever
• Chills
• Diarrhea
• Pus drainage
• Difficulty opening your jaw
• Difficulty swallowing

If the damage is extensive enough, a dental abscess may require that you have dental implants or other extensive reconstructive dentistry done. Talk to your dentist to learn more if you think that you may have a dental abscess.

A recent study conducted by the Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, there is a significant difference between the attitudes that men and women have toward their teeth. After examining a group of eight-hundred participants, a process that involved an oral examination and a survey, researchers determined that more women pay close attention to their oral health than men do.

Part of the study took a look at how the participants would react to a missing tooth. Fully 74% of the women surveyed responded that they would feel embarrassed to be seen with a missing tooth. Only 57% of men said the same. Similarly, it was found that women are about twice as likely as men to take notice if someone they were talking to was missing a tooth.

No matter what your motivation may be, it’s always good to be mindful of any missing teeth you may feel. A quality dental implant not only looks good and makes you feel more confident, but also helps prevent long-lasting damage to your teeth and jaw. Consult Bellevue Dental Implant to learn more.

When you’re struggling with diabetes, you can often experience further problems with your oral health. Part of this has to do with your poor circulation; when your blood isn’t flowing at an optimal rate, your body is less able to fight infections. Therefore, when bacteria begins to thrive in your teeth, it takes longer to get it under control.

Meanwhile, the blood of a diabetic individual is generally more saturated with glucose. This same glucose can travel from your blood into your mouth, where your oral bacteria is able to feed on it in the same way it would feed off of other sugary substances. This is why people with diabetes are more likely to require dental implants and other serious dental procedures.

To make matters worse, if you’re unfortunate enough to contact gum disease, you’re only aggravating your diabetes. It has been shown that diabetic patients suffering from gum disease require more medication, and their condition becomes more manageable after their gum disease is controlled. With this in mind, be sure to take special care of your teeth if you struggle with diabetes.

Do you habitually grind your teeth? This condition, technically known as bruxism, is highly damaging to your teeth. If allowed to go on for too long, you will break down the top surface of your teeth, invite serious tooth decay, and throw your teeth and jaw out of alignment. Severe cases may call for dental implants and other extensive reconstructive dentistry. Fortunately, there are ways to manage bruxism:

Stress is a big cause of bruxism. Identify the stressors in your life, and try to manage them.
Some bruxism is brought on by discomfort in your mouth. If you are experiencing pain, talk to your dentist.
Cut back on alcohol consumption.
Cut back on caffeine.
Avoid chewing anything that isn’t food. Chewing gum, bottle caps, ice, pens; all of these put you in the habit of clenching.
You can train the muscles in your jaw to relax by placing the tip of your tongue between your teeth.
Sometimes, people only grind during the night. Try relaxing your muscles before going to sleep, applying a warm washcloth to the sides of your face.