Category: Restorative Dentistry

Before you make any major life decisions, you should always ask questions, and it is no different with dental implants. Probably the first question you should ask is one that you will ask yourself: “Am I really happy with my smile?” If the answer is “No”, then the following Q&A should help you to decide if dental implants are right for you.

1. Q: Am I a good candidate for dental implants?

A: You are if you have even one missing tooth, loose teeth, trouble chewing, or dental bridges that trap food

2. Q: Can I have dental implants if I am a smoker?

A: Most dentists will expect you to quit smoking before doing dental implant surgery, since smoking can adversely affect your recovery.

3. Q: Will I be sedated before the dental implants are installed?

A: This is not usually necessary. Most of the time, all that is needed is a local anesthetic, the same as with any other dental treatment. However, if you are very apprehensive, you can talk with your dentist about sedation dentistry.

4. Q: Do all dentists offer dental implants?

A: Not all that long ago, dental implant surgery was a specialty. Today, though, most dentists offer dental implants. It does require additional training, though. Usually your dentist will have spent three to four additional years studying implant surgery.

5. Q: How long will dental implants last?

A: If you continue to look after your oral health, your dental implants should outlast you.

6. Q: What is the success rate for dental implants?

A: It is about 98%. When dental implants fail, it is usually because the patient is a smoker and has claimed not to be, or because the patient has not complied with the necessary aftercare.

Contact Us

Perhaps you have other questions about dental implants. If you do, just call us at Old Milton Dental in Alpharetta at 678-624-0370. If you like, you can also type your question into the form on our Contact Us page, and we will get back to you quickly.

How to Make Your Dental Implants Last Longer

Perhaps after reading that title, you are saying to yourself “Longer? I thought dental implants were supposed to last forever!” Well, yes, they are. The dental implant itself is made from titanium, so it will never corrode. However, it could fail. There is also the possibility of damage to the crown that covers the implant. With that in mind, it just makes sense that you should know how to protect your dental implants. Learn how to make your dental implants last longer by following our aftercare.

What Could Cause Dental Implants to Fail?

Three main conditions could lead to failure of your dental implants. They are periodontal disease, trauma or a bad bite.

1. Periodontal Disease: This can affect your dental implants adversely if not treated. Bacteria cause infection and inflammation in your gums, which leads to bone deterioration that may make the implant loosen.
2. Trauma: If you sustain a blow to the mouth, the crowns could be damaged or the dental implants could be dislodged.
3. Bad Bite: Your Alpharetta dentist will not install dental implants without first making sure that there is nothing wrong with your bite. However, as is the case with most things in life, circumstances can change. If you do develop a bad bite, your implants could fail, but this is rare.

Proper Care

The most important thing when it comes to taking care of your dental implants is continuing with good oral hygiene. Do not skip brushing and flossing; sloppy oral care can lead to gum disease, and as previously stated, that can result in failed dental implants. Also, do not assume that because your new smile is not going to decay, you can forego regular dental checkups. You should still visit your dentist every six months.

Contact Us With Any Questions About Dental Implants You Have

Properly cared for, your dental implants can last you the rest of your life. If you have questions about dental implants, or you would like to book an appointment, you can reach us at Old Milton Dental in Alpharetta by calling 678-624-0370, or by filling out the convenient form on our Contact Us page.

What Do You Know About Dental Implants Quiz

If you have been considering the pros and cons of dental implants, you have probably discovered a lot of important information about them. Our dentists are happy to take any questions you have and guide you towards the right decision for your needs. You can visit our Alpharetta, GA office to discuss implant dentistry with our dentists, or you can take this dental implants quiz and discover all of the ins and outs of restorative dentistry.

Is the success rate for dental implants high or low?

The answer to that is simple – it is very high! Implant dentistry has been an evolving science for a while now, but those taking this dental implants quiz might be surprised to learn that the success rate for implants now stands at around 95%.

Is this type of restorative dentistry very painful and lengthy?

Though the very early days of dental implants did find some patients living with discomfort and undergoing a lengthy healing process, most patients in our Alpharetta, GA office experience almost no discomfort and enjoy rapid healing when they follow the aftercare tips given by their implant dentistry specialist.

Will someone getting an implant have to live without a tooth for many months?

This is one myth that this dental implants quiz is glad to debunk! The simple truth of the matter is that restorative dentistry provides for many workable solutions to the missing tooth or teeth as your dental implants heal and bond. From a “flipper” retainer or an immediate implant, the technologies behind implant dentistry have advanced to the point that you never have to live without a tooth. If it is a rear molar, you can opt to leave it alone as the bone and skin heal, avoiding certain foods and following the diet your dentist recommends, but you definitely do not have to live with gaps in your smile!

Is the price of implants a prohibitive issue?

Unfortunately, the matter of costs is not something that can be answered in a dental implants quiz. There are too many factors to consider, as well as too many options. For example, if you opt to have fixed bridges because they are less expensive, but they do not last over the long-term in the way that implants will. That makes it difficult to say which is the better option for the budget. The best answer is to discuss this with our restorative dentistry specialists in our Alpharetta, GA office.

Contact Us

If you have questions about dental implants, give us a call at our Alpharetta, GA office at (678) 624-0370. You can also use our online contact form and one of our staff will get back to you promptly.

Care for Your Dental Implants

Our patients at Old Milton Dental in Alpharetta, GA understand that our dentists are available to provide a host of invaluable dental services, including restorative dentistry. This is a specialized area of dentistry that will ensure that the teeth and gums are in top condition and able to provide good health for years to come. This is why dental implants and implant dentistry are also part of our service. Because the process does not end with the surgical implant, our team also provides support for patients to ensure you know how to care for your dental implants. Dental implant aftercare is a huge part of ongoing health and implant success.

Why? Though restorative dentistry will provide workable and optimal solutions, it still requires a patient to provide themselves with the best dental hygiene. Skipping daily brushing and flossing, avoiding annual cleanings and checkups, and not providing care for your dental implants can lead to trouble.

Fortunately, dental implants are not as high maintenance as natural teeth because they are made of materials impervious to decay and disease. Implant dentistry is a truly optimal solution because it retains the gum and bone tissue, keeps the bite properly aligned and ensures you have the fullest functionality in the mouth. When you learn about proper dental implant aftercare in our Alpharetta, GA office, you can guarantee yourself total success.

When you have restorative dentistry, you will want to discuss the immediate after care requirements. This might include avoidance of certain foods, waiting for the gum and bone to bond with the implant, and returning to have a new crown fitted to the fixture. After that, you will need to do all of the same steps you would for normal (i.e. natural teeth). This means that care for your dental implants is a simple as brushing after meals, flossing at least once daily, coming into our office to have your teeth and dental implants properly cleaned and examined, and visiting our implant dentistry specialist to provide preliminary exams of the implant.

Keep in mind that part of dental implant aftercare is also monitoring the wear and tear of the implant. Restorative dentistry is meant to provide you will complete and healthy function of the teeth and gums, but your bite alignment may be altered when crowns are fitted. That is why part of the care for your dental implants is returning to our Alpharetta, GA office and allowing us to monitor how the teeth are interacting and if there is unnatural wear. Dental implants are a wonderful solution to the loss of a permanent tooth, and implant dentistry can be used to replace single teeth or even to secure bridges and dentures. Proper dental implant aftercare is a big part of success, so be sure you plan to learn about aftercare as part of your restorative dentistry treatment.

Contact Us

If you have questions about dental implant aftercare, give us a call at our Alpharetta, GA office at (678) 624-0370. You can also use our online contact form and one of our staff will get back to you promptly.

When you lose one or more adult teeth it can cause a chain reaction of issues in your mouth. The loss of the tooth causes your gum tissue and jawbone to respond by retracting or shrinking. It causes your remaining teeth to shift and this causes misalignment of your bite. That can lead to dental and jaw pain and of course the loss of any tooth is cosmetically unappealing. No one wants to smile with big gaps and empty spaces in their mouth.

Fortunately, at Old Milton Dental in Alpharetta, GA we offer dental implants to our patients. While this is a wonderful and amazing technology, there are still some myths and misconceptions that surround the use of dental implants. We want to go over the five biggest misconceptions about dental implants to enable our patients to move forward confidently with this beneficial solution.

1. It is incredibly painful. This just is not so. It is very important to know that the local anesthetic used for dental implants is the exact same one we use for fillings and root canals. If you are upset at the idea of this surgical treatment, we can also give you a sedative that will relax and calm you. There will be some soreness as you recover, but it is mild enough to be treated with over the counter pain relievers.
2. It will require you to live with missing teeth for months. While it is true that the bonding of the implant to the jaw can take up to six months, you are given a temporary crown that serves as a functional and cosmetic tooth during that time. This is one of the myths that you must ignore as there is no truth to it.
3. They are rarely successful. It is easy to understand how this myth about dental implants began. In the very earliest days of the technology, which is decades old, there were some failures. Today, however, the success rate for dental implants exceeds 90%!
4. Insurances do not cover them. This is another of the myths that is easy to understand. While the process may not be entirely covered by an insurance policy, we know that many of our patients’ plans will pay for several steps in the process. Contact your insurance firm to overcome such misconceptions.
5. They can cause pressure or damage to the sinuses or jaws. With the advent of remarkably accurate x-rays and scans, there is no risk for such problems. Complications are possible in any sort of procedure, but one of the biggest misconceptions about dental implants is that they can easily cause such issues.

If you have questions about dental implants, or wish to discuss your options, give us a call at (678) 624-0370. You can also use our online contact form and one of our staff will get back to you promptly.