Why should you be concerned about periodontal (gum) disease?

 Periodontal disease is so common that estimates of those affected range from between 75% to more than 90%.  It is an insidious bacterial infection that begins with no symptoms and can progressively affect the appearance of your gums, cause bad breath, and eventually lead to tooth loss with can affect your ability to chew, speak, and socialize.  It causes progressive bone loss which can alter the proportions of your face.  Periodontal disease has also been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, premature births, kidney disease, oral cancer, lung disease, and Alzheimer’s.

What causes gum disease?

 Plaque, the soft thin film you may feel on your teeth, is a natural biofilm with its own ecosystem of bacterial environments.  If this film is allowed to build up, it hardens into calculus (or tartar) which can cause gum inflammation and bleeding.  Calculus can damage the natural seal formed by your gums against the migration of oral bacteria into your bloodstream.  The earliest and most common stage of gum disease is called gingivitis.  As it progresses, it is called periodontitis.

How can you prevent or manage gum disease?

 It’s very important that you maintain a home care routine to prevent plaque from becoming calculus.  Maintaining adequate nutrition and avoiding stress, teeth grinding and clenching, and tobacco can help.  Keep your regular dental appointments so we can keep on top of things, because once calculus is formed, only your dental team can remove it.  Thanks to modern dentistry, periodontal disease can be managed – and even reversed!

 You know, when even one of your teeth becomes severely damaged or is lost altogether, it can affect more than your appearance and self confidence.  With time, your speech can be affected and your food choices limited.  That’s why restorations including fillings, crowns, bridges, and implants were invented.  They can restore natural-looking form and function.
 Here’s how restorations work.

1.)  A filling is a restoration that repairs part of a damaged tooth.  When modern composite or ceramic materials are combined with precision techniques, fillings can fit and fill most types of cavities without removing large amounts of healthy enamel and be very aesthetic and cosmetic looking.  And they can be color-matched to look completely natural.

 2.) A restoration that strengthens and protects the tooth is called a crown and may have heard it called a cap because it actually caps the entire tooth.

 3.) A bridge is a combination of crowns and artificial teeth that closes a gap left by a missing tooth (or teeth), restoring your smile and redistributing the workload.

 4.) A  tooth implant is an artificial crown and root which is permanently implanted right into your jawbone.  Once placed, it acts like a natural tooth to avoid bone loss and prevent drifting of surrounding teeth.  Different implant types and techniques are available to provide individual solutions, from replacing one tooth to anchoring dentures securely.

 Whatever your need, restorative treatments can save time, money, and your smile!

 

Confidence & Comfort

Dental implants can help you smile more!

Dental implants can help you look better, eat better, and feel better.  More than a million have been successfully placed in North America.  That’s a lot of smiles! If you’ve been considering implants, here are a few of the most commonly asked questions.

What is an implant?  An implant has two parts a biocompatible metal root and a custom-made tooth which is attached to it.  Underlying bone is prepared to accept the root which becomes part of you jawbone.
 
How do I know if implants are for me?  Implants are so versatile that they can replace one or more teeth, support a bridge and eliminate the need for a removable partial denture, or provide support to make a complete denture more secure and comfortable.

Will my implants look natural?  Completely natural.  You can eat, speak, and socialize with ease.

Are implants safe?  Definitely.  Implants have been used for about 35 years, and patients can expect a 98% success rate.

Do implants require special after-care?  No. They require the same home care and regular dental visits as natural teeth.

Are age and health important factors?  Age is not a factor.  Most people in good overall and oral health excellent candidates for implants.
 
How long will implants last?  Implants are designed to be permanent, and more than 90% last for twenty years or more.

If you have more questions about dental implants, please call us! We’re here to help!

 

Get ready to smile back with cosmetic dentistry

 People really do look at your mouth first.  That’s got to impact your self consciousness meter… but that can be a good thing!  With these cosmetic dental procedures, we can help you to feel great about your smile – and your oral health – every time you catch someone smiling back at you!

 The most popular treatments are all but invisible, very patient-friendly and can improve your smiles without surgery and in only one or two visits ….
 Replace unattractive stains and discolorations with a pleasing and radiant smile by teeth whitening.
 Say goodbye to dark, outdated silver fillings and match your natural tooth enamel with white composite, porcelain, cast glass, or resin inlays and onlays.

 Cosmetic veneers will improve the appearance and proportions of teeth that are stained, chipped, overlapping, gapped, uneven. Veneers are extremely thin but strong porcelain shells that are layered over the front surfaces of natural teeth.  They can be designed to improve the proportions of your smile.

 Strengthen and renew the appearance of teeth that have had root canal treatment or extensive repair with a natural-looking crown that fits over a tooth to restore its normal shape, color, and function.
 Recapture your confidence by replacing missing teeth with implants.  They can be an esthetically pleasing alternative to dentures and bridges that will allow you to eat, speak, and socialize naturally.  Replacing missing teeth can prevent future problems with shifting that can affect your appearance.

The less you see, the more you get

Only a few short years ago, silver amalgam fillings were the order of the day. Most of us still sport one or two of these durable but unsightly restorations.

New tooth-colored filling materials called composite resins have changed all that. These plastic mixtures filled with glass or silica and resin ionomers with fluoride-releasing properties are both tough and efficient. And best of all, we can color the filling to match your own teeth.

Composites bond to your teeth to support and strengthen the remaining tooth structure. This helps to prevent breakage and insulates teeth from excessive temperature changes. Invisible cosmetic touch-ups of cracked or chipped teeth are also made easily. Resin ionomers are particularly suitable for children because they release fluoride, and for older adults because their sealing and fluoride properties reduce root decay.

The chewing surfaces of your back teeth work really hard, and damage can occur. For these restorations, we’ll often use an inlay which fits in the grooves between the cusps of a tooth. We can use tooth-colored porcelain inlays, onalys and crowns which are cosmetically attractive and super tough. Your custom-made inlay, onlay or crown is cemented permanently to your tooth, rivaling the strength and beauty of its natural properties. We carefully polish or glaze it, and check the bite to ensure a perfect fit.  Using cosmetic dentistry we can restore your teeth with tooth color restorations. 

Please see us for a consultation so we can make sure your smile is healthy and at its sparkling best.

The signs of fall signal back-to-work and back-to-school for many of us.  They should also be a cue to make a dental appointment because your dental insurance has seasons too.  More than 90% of dental plans are based on a calender year.  If you do not use the benefits you are entitled to, they are gone as of December 31st. Your benefits are not carried forward into next year.  Many treatments can take weeks to complete. That’s why it’s especially important to come in for a visit to get things started as soon as possible.

Bone loss in your jaw will always follow the loss of a tooth.  Dental implants can help you avoid facial changes, speech changes, and diet changes that take place over time as teeth shift, jawbone recedes, and in extreme cases, cheeks take on a collapsed look.  Dental implants can replace those lost teeth and help you look great.  Here are some reasons why dental implants are now the treatment of choice for many people who need to replace missing teeth.  Tooth implants:

1. Require only normal brushing and flossing for maintenance
2. Are anchored permanently in your jaw bone
3. Preserve and strengthen the underlying bone just like the roots of your natural teeth
4. Do not alter or compromise healthy adjacent teeth
5. Require no plates that can affect comfort and fit
6. Can replace the form and function of only one tooth or two, or can replace teeth in an entire jaw
7. Can anchor dentures to prevent shifting, or replace partial dentures and bridgework
8. Are without any age barrier
9. Are safe and reliable (hundreds of thousands are placed every year – all over the world)
10. Look completely natural so that no one will know you have them…unless you tell!

Call for a consultation at our great Atlanta location, 770-953-1752.  Safe, reliable, and natural-looking dental implants may be your solution.