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Advanced cosmetic and general dentistry

5 Reasons It’s Not Too Late for Dental Implants

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A lot of people think that it’s too late for dental implants if they’ve already been wearing dentures for many years. But what are the facts?

1. Time Doesn’t Matter

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been wearing dentures for ten months, ten years, or longer. You can still be a candidate for dental implants.

2. Delay Can Result in Dentures That You Can’t Wear

Without dental implants to stimulate your jawbone and prevent further shrinkage, over time as your jawbone continues to shrink, it won’t be possible to keep a denture in your mouth. Your dentures will progressively lift, slip around, and fall out. Dental implants can slow down the progression of bone shrinkage and improve your experience with dentures.

3. Bone Grafting Can Help

Although it’s not too late for dental implants, long-term denture wearers usually need bone grafting for several reasons:

  • Jawbone progressively shrinks when all your teeth are missing.
  • Dentures that rest on your gums accelerate bone shrinkage.
  • Grafting builds up the bone and provides support for dental implants.
  • The tissue for bone grafts can come from another part of your body or artificial bone.
Photo of angled dental implants for information on why it's not too late for implants in Lowell, MA

Angled dental implants can eliminate the need for bone grafting

4. Angled Dental Implants Might Be an Option

All-On-4 or All-On-6 implants are placed at angles to increase contact with your bone and decrease the chance of implants becoming displaced due to lack of bone density. The technique eliminates the need to build up the bone with grafting. Your provider will tell you if it is an option for you.

5. The Right Provider Can Help

A general dentist, an oral surgeon, or a periodontist (a specialist in gum health) can perform implant surgery. Carefully select a provider who has the following qualifications:

  • Advanced training in implantology
  • Advanced technology to provide 3-D images of your oral anatomy to ensure optimal placement of the dental implants.
  • A history of dozens of successful cases of placing implants for patients with bone shrinkage

 

It’s not too late for dental implants. We suggest that you schedule consultations with at least two implant dentists. Each dentist should discuss your options and the results you can expect. He or she will answer your questions about this dental procedure.

 

Lowell, MA dentist Dr. Michael Szarek sponsors this post.

Height Matters. What Most Patients Don’t Know About Dental Implant Abutments and Bone Loss

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An abutment is a connector that is attached to the top of a dental implant root form. A dental crown is attached to the abutment, and it replaces the part of a natural tooth that shows above your gumline.

Implant Research Shows that Height Matters

There are various widths and heights of abutments. Each patient needs an abutment that fits the implant root and helps the implant crown fit between existing teeth without being too loose or too tight. But what about abutment height?

Diagram of dental implant phases, including 1) implant insertion in bone, 2) healing process, 3) abutment attachment, 4) crown attachment.

Dental implant phases

An Implant Abutment Study

The article “Risk Factors for Bone Loss with Dental Prosthetics,” published in the June 2019 Journal of Oral Implantology, reports findings from a study of how implant abutment height affects jawbone loss. Why are the findings significant? A dental implant root, similar to a natural tooth root, stimulates the jawbone and helps prevent shrinkage. But if an abutment is too high, it can conflict with the implant root and promote bone shrinkage. Consider the findings.

The study gathered clinical data for 57 patients who received a dental implant and prosthesis between 2014 and 2018. Panoramic x-rays were used to measure several factors:

  • Patient bone levels
  • Implant height and diameter
  • Distance between tissue anchors
  • Abutment height

Researchers also analyzed whether patient age, gender, or implant characteristics contributed to the risk of bone loss.

The Results

Researchers measured the patients’ bone levels at 6, 12, and 24 months after the abutments were placed. Abutments of 4mm in height contributed to more bone loss than abutments of 3mm or 2mm in height. Taller (4mm) abutments contribute to more bone loss for several reasons:

  • Increase stress on the gum tissue around the implant
  • Cause the attached prosthesis to rotate and cause slight implant instability
  • Increase stress on the bone while chewing

The increased stress on gum tissue and jawbone can also cause irritation, infection, and soreness.

Why were 4mm abutments used? The clinical data doesn’t reveal why doctors chose specific abutment height for each patient. But author Ömür Dereci indicates that clinicians choose abutment height according to the thickness of gum tissue around the implant abutment. The recommendation: surgically reduce the gingival thickness instead of using high abutments.

If You’re Thinking About Getting Dental Implants

If you’re thinking about having your missing teeth replaced with dental implants, you can’t select the correct abutment height to prevent jawbone loss, but you can carefully select your implant dentist. Ensure your provider has the following qualifications:

  • Extensive post-graduate training in implantology, occlusion, and bite
  • Access to 3D x-ray equipment to accurately measure bone and reveal oral cavities and other structures
  • Extensive experience in implant surgery
  • Extensive experience in restoring dental implants with crowns or an arch of denture teeth

Find at least two potential providers, schedule consultations with them, and compare your options before making a final selection.

 

Michael Szarek, DMD, a cosmetic dentist in Lowell, MA sponsors this post. His office is convenient to Dracut, Helmsford, Tewksbury, and surrounding cities.

What Can You Expect with Dental Implants If You Have Diabetes?

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Dental implants provide a long-lasting solution for missing teeth. They look and feel natural. And they function better than other forms of tooth replacement. But are they an option if you have diabetes?

Why the Concern About Dental Implants and Diabetes?

Diabetes

Uncontrolled diabetes can affect your body’s ability to heal. High blood glucose levels can cause other medical complications, including:

  • Reduce the body’s immune response
  • Increase the risk of infection, including periodontal (gum) disease
  • Delay healing

How are these factors related to dental implants?

Dental implants

Before you receive dental implants, your gums need to be healthy. Additionally, implants are surgically placed in your jawbone. Sometimes bone grafting is required before you receive them. Proper healing is vital for dental implants to be successful.

Surgery – A dentist who is trained in implantology or an oral surgeon can replace your missing teeth with dental implant fixtures—artificial tooth roots. A root form serves as an anchor for a dental crown, or cap. Two or more implant fixtures can be used to support a denture. It takes three to four months for implants and your jawbone to fuse together and heal. The result is a solid foundation for your replacement teeth.

Bone grafting – If you have begun to experience jawbone shrinkage in the areas where teeth are missing, bone grafting might be needed to ensure your implants have enough support. The grafts will need to heal for about three months before you receive dental implants.

But will diabetes prevent you from receiving implants?

What Does Research Show?

In a study published in the May 2019 issue of the Journal of Oral Implantology, researchers reviewed 118 published studies on dental implants for patients with diabetes. The findings show that diabetes does not affect the implant success rate. But it can increase the risk of marginal bone loss (resorption of bone around the dental implant). Still, with proper planning and care, most patients with diabetes have a successful outcome.

Are You a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

If you’re thinking about getting dental implants, let your dentist know that you have diabetes. He or she will review your medical and dental history to ensure you’re a candidate for this form of tooth replacement. If you are, your dentist or oral surgeon will ensure your implant surgery is well planned for and performed at the optimal time to promote healing. Your dentist will carefully monitor your implants throughout the healing process.

Diagram of dental implant phases, including 1) implant insertion in bone, 2) healing process, 3) abutment attachment, 4) crown attachment.

Dental implant phases

How Can You Help?

Some of the things you can do to help control your diabetes and contribute to the success of your dental implants include:

  • Follow your doctor’s instructions for monitoring and testing your blood glucose level.
  • Take your medication as prescribed, but tell your doctor about any uncomfortable or unusual side effects.
  • Ensure you get adequate nutrition and regular exercise.
  • Keep your regularly scheduled appointments for dental cleanings and exams.

If you have diabetes, dental implants can still be an option for making your smile healthier and more attractive—for a lifetime.

Finding the Right Dentist

Your smile and your oral health are worth taking time to find the right dentist for your case. Search online to find dentists who have extensive post-graduate training in implantology and who have successfully completed many implant cases. Consider scheduling consultations with at least two dentists to discuss your concerns and to learn what each dentist does to help patients with diabetes have a successful outcome with dental implants.

 

This post is sponsored by Michael Szarek, DMD of Lowell, MA.

7 Keys to Choosing a Dental Implant or a Bridge

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The root canal that I received this past March didn’t work. My dentist did a second root canal last month, but she could not save the tooth. She extracted it. The tooth is a right lateral incisor, so I have a tooth missing in the front of my mouth. It’s there for everyone to see. I’m debating on whether or not to get a dental implant or a bridge. An implant costs so much, but my dentist said it could last for the rest of my life. And then I’m not sure if my dentist knows how to handle complex cases. She is young, and this is only her fourth year in practice. I’m four hours away from Dr. Szarek’s office. Otherwise, I would come there. Can you give me some things to consider before I say and make a commitment to the wrong dentist? Thanks. Teresa

Teresa – Below are a few things to consider.

Dental Implants

  • Surgery – Minimally invasive surgery is required to place implant fixtures in your jawbone.
  • Healing time – It takes several weeks for the implant to fuse to your jawbone.
  • Effect on adjacent teeth – No work is required on your adjacent teeth.
  • Cost – Dental implants cost more than other forms of tooth replacement, including a dental bridge.
  • Long-term results – Depending on your age, implants can last a lifetime.
  • Effectiveness – They look and feel like your natural teeth.
  • Bone shrinkage – Implant fixtures stimulate the jawbone and prevent shrinkage.
Diagram of dental implant phases, including 1) implant insertion in bone, 2) healing process, 3) abutment attachment, 4) crown attachment.

Dental implant phases

Dental Bridge

  • Surgery – No surgery is required to place a dental bridge.
  • Healing time – There is no healing time, so your dentist can place the implant right away.
  • Effect on adjacent teeth – Your dentist will shave down the tooth on either side of the missing. The adjacent teeth will serve as anchors for the bridge, and a dental crown will be placed over each of them.
  • Cost – A bridge doesn’t cost as much as a dental implant. In some cases, a dental implant can cost twice as much.
  • Long-term results – A dental bridge can last 10 to 20 years.
  • Effectiveness – Dental crowns can be made to look like your natural teeth, but a bridge won’t feel as natural as a dental implant.
  • Bone shrinkage – A dental crown is suspended in the middle of the bridge to replace the missing tooth. But since there is no implant fixture to stimulate the bone, the beneath the crown will gradually shrink.

 

Whether you choose a dental implant or a bridge, find an experienced implant dentist who is also a cosmetic dentist. You will receive a quality dental implant that looks natural.

This blog is sponsored by Michael Szarek, DMD of Lowell, MA. Dr. Szarek is an implant dentist and an accredited cosmetic dentist.

6 Questions to Ask Yourself before Choosing Dental Implants

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If you’re reading this post, you probably know that dental implants are the most effective form of tooth replacement. That’s because they mimic natural teeth.

The components of a dental implant include:

  • Artificial root – A root form, usually made of titanium, is surgically implanted in your jawbone. It’s a simple procedure.
  • Abutment – This connector is attached to the artificial root to support a crown.
  • Dental crown – A dental crown is attached to the abutment.
Diagram of dental implant phases, including 1) implant insertion in bone, 2) healing process, 3) abutment attachment, 4) crown attachment.
Dental implant phases

Questions to Ask Yourself before Dental Implants Are Placed

1. What are the implant dentist’s qualifications?

Although many dentists offer dental implants, not all of them meet the following qualifications:

  • Post-graduate training in implantology
  • Regularly place dental implants
  • Use advanced technology, including 3-D images to ensure optimal implant placement
  • Provide natural-looking dental crowns or implant overdentures

2. What are my other options?

Dental implants are the best form of tooth replacement, but they are also the most costly. If they are not within your budget, you should be aware of the following:

  • Other options, e.g., dental bridge, partial denture, implant overdentures
  • Cost of the options
  • Longevity of your options
  • Results you can expect

3. What’s involved with getting dental implants?

Dental implants have a 98% success rate, but they require diligent oral hygiene. Ask yourself if you’re willing to do the following:

  • Brush your teeth twice daily and daily floss between them
  • Keep appointments for regular dental cleanings and checkups
  • Quit smoking or tobacco use—or avoid those habits before and after dental implant surgery to allow proper healing

4. What Are My Long-Term Goals for My Smile?

If you have multiple smile goals, dental implants can be added to the treatment plan. But timing is everything. Your dentist will let you know at what stage dental implants will be scheduled in your overall treatment. For example, if you want your teeth whitened or aligned, let you dentist know before you receive dental implants.

5. Am I Willing to Wait?

  • Surgery and healing – Receiving dental implants is a process. After the implants are placed, it takes three to four months for the implants and your jawbone to fuse and provide a solid anchor for dental crowns or dentures. Meanwhile, you will wear temporary crowns or dentures.
  • Bone grafting – If some of your teeth have been missing for an extended period, your jawbone might be shrinking. Adequate bone is needed to support dental implants. If you don’t have enough bone, grafting might be required. The grafts need to heal before dental implants are placed.

A successful outcome requires patience. Don’t expect a quick fix with dental implants.

6. Am I Willing to Consult with More than One Dentist?

Much of the success of dental implants depends on the training, skill, and experience of the dentist. We recommend that you schedule consultations with more than one dentist. Only schedule consultations with providers who have post-graduate training in implantology, years of experience in placing implants, and many patients for whom implants have been provided.

During your consultations ask each dentist about the following:

  • Advanced training and credentials
  • Years of experience
  • How many dental implant cases he or she has completed
  • Before-and-after photos of patient cases
  • Cost of the entire procedure, including surgery, bone grafting if needed, and crowns or dentures
  • How he or she ensures accurate placement (3D imaging, computer-guided placement, etc.)

Cost alone should not determine which provider you choose for dental implants. Compare all of your options and weigh them carefully.

This post is sponsored by Lowell, MA accredited cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Szarek. Dr. Szarek’s office is convenient to the following towns:

  • Dracut, MA
  • Chelmsford, MA
  • Tewksbury, MA
  • Billerica, MA
  • Pelham, NH      
  • Westford, MA
  • Methuen, MA
  • Andover, MA
  • Lawrence, MA
  • Wilmington, MA            
  • Bedford, MA
  • North Andover, MA
  • Burlington, MA
  • Hudson, NH
  • Windham, NH