Monthly Archive for June, 2008

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Dental Implant Failure

Dental implant failures are very rare. Dental implant surgery has a success rate of 95%. Failure in surgery is due to improper selection of patients. Implants fail for numerous reasons. They could be biological or microbiological factors, biomechanical factors, biomaterial factors, or due to implant surface treatments. Complications involved in the dental implant procedure are nerve damage, infection, the body’s rejection of the implant and the implant itself breaking.

The most widespread cause of dental implant failure is poor oral hygiene. The build-up of dental plaque and debris around teeth and implants results in an increased concentration of bacteria. Good oral hygiene can greatly reduce infection.

Improper selection of patient is another reason for dental implant failure. Patients with sufficient quality or quantity of bone to support the implant fixture only are to be selected for the implant surgery. Otherwise, implants are doomed to be utter failures. Medical history and systematic health of the patient should be clearly checked by the dentist before surgery.

Another possible reason for implant failure is inferior surgical technique. Implant failure may result from insufficient irrigation of the surgical site or from using low torque and excessive drill speed during placement. Failure results from extreme temperature elevation in bone during placement, leading to necrosis of the supporting bone around the implant. Inadequate implant restorations may also contribute to implant failure. Poorly restored implants may have overhangs or be over-contoured, which may lead to plaque buildup and ultimate failure. Another research has shown that smoking can lead to higher rates of dental implant failure.

Smoking is exceptionally harmful to all oral tissues, especially when implants are present. It affects the healing of bone and soft tissue, by reducing the nutrients and minerals in the tissues and by reducing blood supply. To help keep the supporting bone and gum tissues healthy and capable of resisting infection, the implant patient should not smoke.

Dental Implants provides detailed information on Dental Implants, Costs of Dental Implants, Dental Implants in Las Vegas, Dental Implants in Los Angeles and more. Dental Implants is affiliated with Software For Dentists.

By Kevin Stith Platinum Quality Author

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Select your Implant Dentist Wisely

Choosing the right implant dentist can make all the difference when opting for dental implant surgery. When selecting a dental implant dentist, make sure you know how experienced they are and know what their percentage success rate is in comparison to industry standards.

People often spend far less time selecting an implant dentist than they do looking for a cosmetic surgeon. However, there can still be a significant risk of failure if you select the wrong implant dentist and the consequences of an implant failure can be both painful, visually distressing and time consuming. A botched dental implant cannot always be put right and at best will require recovery time as well as possibly bone grafting and other cosmetic dentistry procedures before you are able to consider a second attempt.

There are many different implant procedures which, when used correctly, can offer a long term and natural solution for those requiring prosthetic teeth. However, if you select an implant dentist who does not have the right level of competency for the level of work you need to have carried out you could find yourself wishing that you had never even considered the dental implant route.

A dental implant basically involves a screw being placed into the jaw to which a crown is fixed. If your implant dentist fails to place the screw correctly or fails to notice that you have insufficient bone to support the screw before he attempts to fix it in place there is a risk of implant failure.

The placing of dental implants is a skilled job which requires a significant level of training beyond family dental work. It is highly advisable to assess the skill level of your chosen implant dentist before going ahead with any dental implant procedure.

Basically your implant dentist has to follow simple guidelines in that dental implants must have a solid foundation and must have sufficient accessibility to enable a high level of dental care.

If you choose an experienced implant dentist who is highly skilled in the dental implant area of cosmetic dentistry then the success rate for dental implant is high.

For more on dental implants visit www.1st-4-teeth.com.

By Terry Ross Platinum Quality Author

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Cosmetic Dentist - What to Look For

Are you looking for a cosmetic dentist to whiten your smile or perform some other cosmetic dental surgery or procedure? It is important that you choose a cosmetic dentist carefully, because your smile is one of your most important assets. The things that you should look for when choosing a cosmetic dentist are: proper training and education, good patient success rate, and that you are comfortable with them.

In order to practice any type of dentistry, technically all you need is a dental license. But, there are professional dental organizations which provide additional training and certification for the various dental professionals-such as a cosmetic dentist. When you are choosing a dentist you should make sure that they have the professional training that is required and that they are in good standing with the State Licensing Board. If there are any complaints against the dentist of your choice, check to see if they have been resolved and how they were resolved.

You should definitely find out if the cosmetic dentist you are looking at has experience in performing the procedure you are going to have done and if the experiences have been successful. One way to do that is to ask to see an album of before and after pictures of patients who have had your procedure done or a similar procedure done. You can also ask for references to contact. Friends and family may also be a good resource for cosmetic dentist referrals. Ask if they would use the dentist again and what they liked and didn’t like about the dentist if anything.

Sit down with any dentist that you are considering and ask any questions that you may have. Some sample questions include: How long will the procedure take? How many visits will it take? What discomfort can I expect, if any? What is the recovery time? Make sure that the dentist is aware of your goals and expectations for the procedure and that they agree with them. They should be honest with you about the outcome. Almost any dental procedure will cause some pain and discomfort even if it is just momentary.

Eriani Doyel writes articles about Health and Dentistry as well as Self Improvement. For more information about finding a cosmetic dentist visit fastdentist.com

By Eriani Doyel Platinum Quality Author

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

If You Want A Brighter Smile And Whiter Teeth Let A Professional Dentist Whiten Your Teeth For You

If you want to have whiter teeth, you have two ways to achieve it. You can buy teeth whitening products or you can have a dentist perform teeth whitening procedure. Using teeth whitening gel or toothpaste is cheap but you are not guaranteed results. Going to a doctor, on the other hand, may be a tad pricey but a dentist is trained and qualified to perform teeth whitening procedures with great results.

Some dentists use the laser teeth whitening process to whiten teeth. Before performing this teeth whitening procedure, your dentist will clean your teeth. Next gel will be applied to your teeth. The gel has strong whitening chemicals. After applying the gel, the dentist will place your teeth under a laser to accelerate the teeth whitening process. The Zoom laser, used by many dentists, causes teeth to whiten in less than an hour. With only a single session, you can have whiter teeth that will remain white for over a year.

Dentists are trained to find out the level of discoloration in your teeth. For your teeth whitening need, your dentist will be able to recommend a suitable treatment to make your teeth white. You will simply be wasting time and money trying all kinds of teeth whitening gels and toothpastes that bring no results. Sit with a dentist and get professional advice and results.

If you go to your dentist for a teeth-whitening procedure, your dentist will also be able to give you advice on how to maintain your new white teeth. While it’s true that you will be spending a considerable amount of money when you go to a dentist, the cost is worth it because you will be getting quality service and advice.

Before undergoing a teeth whitening procedure make sure you know about what the main teeth whitening benefits are by visiting www.brightersmilewhiterteeth.com, a popular teeth whitening website that provides tips, advice and resources to include information on whitening strips and gels, teeth whitening methods, teeth whitening risks and benefits.

By Tim Gorman Platinum Quality Author

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

How to choose a dentist in Singapore?

If you are coming to Singapore and want to find a dentist that fits your specific dental need according to the field of dentistry. If you’re thinking of doing implants and doing away with your dentures, then for heaven’s sake go to a dental surgeon that is that has undergone training in dental implantology. Here’s a list of the various fields that might help you save a lot of time and redundant effort bouncing from one dentist to another.

  • Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon (OMS):
    Dental implants, wisdom teeth surgery, jaw surgery, sinus surgery, extraction, cyst removal
  • Periodontist:
    Gum surgery, gum disease, deep scaling, root planning
  • Prosthodontist:
    Crown, implant crown, bridges, veneers
  • Orthodontist:
    Braces (metal, ceramic)
  • Paediatricition:
    Children dentistry
  • Endodontist:
    Root canal treatment
  • General Practitioner:
    Scaling & polishing (fancy dental term for cleaning), restoration (another fancy term for fillings), teeth-whitening

Now that you are a bit more familiar with the different dentistry fields, you can search for a dentist in your area that does the exact treatment you want done.

Here are 11 factors to consider in choosing a dentist:

1. Find out how long the dentist has been in practice and how long the dental practice has been around.

2. To what degree of experience does the dentist have dealing with your specific dental need. If you want to do an implant surgery, what formal training has the dentist gone through to equip him with the necessary skills to execute the treatment.

3. Ask the dentist to explain to you all the possible option in dealing with your situation. If you are missing a tooth, he should explain to you the 3 options of; bridge, denture and an implant. Then ask him the pros and cons for each option before deciding.

4. Ask about the dental societies that the dentist participates in as well as what kind of continual education he has gone through recently. The Singapore Dental Council requires all practicing dentist to attend a certain number of hours per year so as to ensure that they are up to date with the latest technologies and methods in their field of dentistry.

5. How thorough is the dental examination: a conscientious dentist would not only check your teeth, but also your tongue, lips, inside of the cheek, palate, gums and skin of your face.

6. Ask the dentist to show you the before and after photos of the same procedures that you would like to undergo and ask him how close the results would be if you undergo the same treatment (Many Singapore dentists take before and after shots to put a patient’s mind at ease that he knows that he’s doing)

7. Find out clearly the total cost of the treatment including hospital charges, anaesthetist fees, facility fees and dental treatment fees.

8. Ask if the clinic is MEDISAVE approved. If the clinic is Medisave approved, you can use your medisave to pay a portion of the fees for surgical cases (cyst removal, dental implants, wisdom tooth surgery, gum surgery, sinus lift procedures, drainage of abscess).

9. How friendly and courteous are the staff and dentists from the clinic. You would probably not change dentist for a long time (maybe forever), so it is very important to feel at ease and comfortable with the receptionist, nurses and doctors.

10. Ask about what kind of patient centered comforts there are: music, movies and anesthetic methods.

11. What are the operating hours like; as your procedure might require multiple visits, you need to know when they are open (some clinics open only during office hours) so as to plan for leave of time off from your company.