Atlanta Dental Implants Archives - Atlanta Dental Implants

Can I Get Dental Implants Instead of Dentures?

Posted on July 16, 2019 by writeradmin.

I finally have dental insurance. I’ve lost eight teeth because of gum disease. I’ve been trying to get them healthy but know I’m going to lose a few more in the meantime. Is it possible for someone like me to get dental implants or will I have to get dentures?

Ellie

Dear Ellie,

You are definitely on the right track. Plus, dental implants are the top-of-the-line tooth replacement option for you, especially when you’re losing so many teeth. It’s great that you are getting your gum disease under control because that is the first step you’d have to take in order to be a candidate.

It’s possible that you’ve lost a significant amount of bone as well, which will require an additional procedure called bone grafting. This is necessary because you need the bone to integrate with the implant to keep it secure.

Once those things are taken care of you are good for getting your dental implants.

Benefits of Dental Implants

No matter how well-fitted dentures are, they reduce your chewing capacity by 50%. With dental implants, your new teeth are completely secure. You’ll be able to eat whatever you want without any trouble.

The biggest benefit of getting dental implants, however, is it prevents facial collapse. When your teeth are removed it signals to your brain the roots of your teeth are no longer there. Because your body strives to be efficient, it resorbs the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere.

After about ten or more years you no longer have enough jawbone left to retain your dentures. This is known as facial collapse.

Getting dental implants prevents this because the implants let your brain know there are still teeth there which need the bone support, so the minerals are left in place.

This blog is brought to you by Atlanta Periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey.

Traveling for Implant Overdentures

Posted on May 17, 2019 by writeradmin.

I recently got dentures and have decided it was a mistake. I want to replace them with implant overdentures. I originally went with the dentures because there isn’t a reputable dental implant dentist in my area. If I am going to do this, I want to do it right. That will require me to travel for my dental implants. I’m thinking of traveling a couple of states away. This particular dentist is very well known for both his dental implant skills as well as his cosmetic work. Patients travel from everywhere, including other countries, to have their work done by him. What recommendations do you have for this type of arrangement?

Amaya

Dear Amaya,

Implant Overdentures

I am very glad to hear that you’ll be able to get the treatment you really want and not have to limit yourself to what is available in your geographic area. You’ll find implant supported dentures a huge step up from what you’ve been dealing with. When it comes to traveling to get this care done there are a few considerations. Some of them you’ve already taken care of. However, I’m going to list them anyway for the benefit of others.

It’s Imperative You Check the Dental Implant Qualifications of the Dentist

You want to make certain the dentist you choose has done extensive training in the dental implant procedure post-doctorally. In addition to that, you want to ask how many dental implant procedures he’s completed along with his success rate. It needs to be a large number of procedures with around a 98% success rate.

No dentist will have a 100% success rate. Both the patient and the dentist can do everything perfectly and some dental implant procedures will fail. This is because of the differences in our biological makeups and sometimes a body just rejects an implant.

Budget Carefully for the Number of Trips You’ll Have to Take

Truthfully, you should plan on at least six different appointments. Some of them will include: the initial consultation, surgery, post-op checks, healing checks, impression appointments, and placement appointments. Each dentist is a little different in how they handle these so discuss this thoroughly with your caregiver.

You’ll need enough money to travel back and forth to all of these appointments, as well as gas, food, and lodging.

Understand the Dentists Emergency Protocol

Make sure you know how he’ll want you to handle any dental emergencies which pop up during your treatment. Will he want you to come in to see him directly? Will he do an evaluation over skype first?

Plan Your Post-Surgical Care Giver

You’ll be in no condition to travel after your dental implant surgery. While you may have a nice cozy hotel room, you will need someone to be with you for at least the first day after surgery. Plan on having someone come with you whom you trust and who has the personality to deal with someone post-surgery.

I hope this helps. As you are seeing a dentist who already deals with both national and international patients, he likely has a system in place to make this very easy for you to plan out, so your first order of business is to set up that consultation with him.

This blog is brought to you by Atlanta Periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey

Premedication for Dental Implants after a Hip Replacement

Posted on April 30, 2019 by writeradmin.

I am planning on getting dental implants. I’ve had two consultations and received conflicting appointments for both. I’ve had a hip replacement in the past. One dentist said I would need to be pre-medicated with antibiotics because of that. Another said, that is completely unnecessary. Who’s right?

Mandy

Dear Mandy,

Dental implant illustration with three phases

If you went to two more dentists you would probably face the same issue again. This is a controversial issue. In the past, the American Dental Association (ADA) along with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommended patients with previous hip replacements get pre-treated with antibiotics.

The reason for this is they felt any bacteria could get introduced into the bloodstream and infect the hip causing severe problems.

This is no longer the recommendation but some dentists feel more comfortable with it. Whichever you are more comfortable with is fine.

What’s Important in an Implant Dentist

When choosing a dentist to do your dental implants, there is a much more important factor than whether or not they want you to pre-medicate with antibiotics. You want to know about their dental implant training and experience.

I want you to look at Dr. Pumphrey’s dental implant credentials to get an idea of what you’re looking for in training. It’s also important to ask about their experience and success rate. You want to make sure they do a great deal of implant procedures and have at least a 98% success rate.

Benefits of Dental Implants

It’s like having healthy, natural teeth again
You can eat what you want
You can brush and floss normally
It prevents the bone loss associated with facial collapse

This blog is brought to you by Atlanta Periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey.

Will Affordable Dental Implants Make Me Look Younger?

Posted on April 8, 2019 by writeradmin.

I’m a grandmother at 45, but don’t want to look like one. Unfortunately, I do. I think it is because I have something called facial collapse. I’ve been doing some research online and it looks like dental implants will fix that. However, I also see there is something called snap on dentures which are considered affordable dental implants. Will those help me look younger too? I don’t want to waste money.

Karen

Dear Karen,

Image of a woman before and after the affects of facial collapse

You have certainly done your homework. As you can tell from the image above, as well as your jaw, years of dentures not only make you look older than you are but can also keep you from eating.

When facial collapse shrinks your jaw, it also causes your dentures to have nothing to sit on, making you a denture cripple. They have probably already started slipping. Eventually, you won’t be able to keep them in at all.

Can Affordable Dental Implants Help?

Before any dental implants are able to be placed you will have to build back up your bone. This is because dental implants are surgically implanted into your jaw in order to take the place of the roots of your teeth. Having those prosthetic roots there will keep your jaw from shrinking.

Doing this is a simple outpatient procedure known as bone grafting. That alone will restore not just your jaw, but your youthful appearance as well. From there, it is just a matter of what type of implants to get.

You mentioned snap-on dentures. While the least expensive of the affordable implant options, these use two dental implants toward the front of your jaw and snaps your dentures to them. It will preserve the bone where the implants are, but no further.

However, if at all possible, because of your young age, I want to recommend you get implant overdentures. This uses between four to eight implants to anchor your dentures. It will completely protect your jawbone from shrinkage. Plus, they’ll be completely secure. It will be like having healthy natural teeth again.

This blog is brought to you by Atlanta Periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey.

Is It Better to Get Screw-Retained Implant Crowns?

Posted on March 26, 2019 by writeradmin.

I’ve had a consultation with a few dentists for dental implants. One them explained that he only placed screw-retained crowns with his dental implants and that is why he has a higher rate than his colleagues in successful dental implant cases. I haven’t found a way to verify that, so could you help me understand the differences in the types of implant crowns and whether they make a difference?

Casey

Dear Casey,

Generally, there are two ways of bonding on a dental crown to dental implants. The first bonds it on with cement. The second is the screw-retained crowns one of your potential dentists mentioned.

Cemented Crowns to Dental Implants

As its name implies, this type of crown uses cement to bond it on. The biggest problem with this type of crown is the potential for infection. No matter how careful a dentist is, some of the cement will seep out. They then use handtools to remove the remainder of cement.

However, if any gets left, at best it will irritate your gums and trap bacteria. At worst, it will flare up an infection leading to dental implant failure.

Screw-Retained Crowns for Dental Implants

There are two big advantages to using a screw-retained crown for your dental implants. The biggest is it avoids the cement, which as you’ve learned can cause some complications.

The second advantage is if the crown ever needs to be replaced. It is much easier to unscrew a porcelain crown and place a new one than it is to replace a crown which has been cemented in.

You should be aware there are times a screw-retained crown isn’t possible. It takes longer to place these and some patients just aren’t able to keep their mouths open that long. However, using dental sedation can eliminate this problem, allowing the patient to sleep through the procedure.

Another reason is if the placement of the dental implant won’t allow for it due to aesthetic reasons.

The key to a successful dental implant procedure is the training and experience of the dentist. Focus on that rather than the type of crown. For instance, look at Dr. Pumphrey’s dental implant training to get an idea of what type of dentist you’re looking for.

This blog is brought to you by Atlanta Periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey.

Dental Implants for a Stuntman

Posted on February 23, 2019 by writeradmin.

I’m a stuntman. While it is not unusual to knock out a tooth in my profession, I’ve lost three so far this year and it’s only February. I need to replace them. Would dental implants be a good option? Do they hold up well?

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

Dental implants are a fantastic tooth replacement option. As you can see from the illustration above, they are implanted into your jawbone as a substitute for your natural teeth roots. Once the bone has integrated with them, you will have a dental crown placed on top to replace the tooth itself.

They are strong and hold up as well as teeth. In your case, that’s not saying much. You will want to find out why you are losing so many teeth suddenly. Is it just a spate of bad luck or is something more serious going on?

Dental Implants and Gum Disease

One possibility is that you have developed gum disease. In its most advanced stages, it can cause your teeth to just fall out. It will certainly make them looser and easier to get knocked out.

I’d like you to see a periodontist. If all is well with your gums then you may go ahead with the dental implants. However, if you do have gum disease, you’ll need to get that treated first.

Once your gums are under control, then you can revisit getting dental implants.

This blog is brought to you by Atlanta Periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey.

Can a Smoker Get Dental Implants?

Posted on December 11, 2018 by writeradmin.

I’m a lifetime smoker and have started losing some teeth. I’d really like to replace them with dental implants, but one dentist said no and another yes. Part of me is like jump at the yes, but the other part of me wonders why the first dentist said no. He said he doesn’t give them to smokers, but didn’t elaborate. Is there something wrong with that? Can smokers get dental implants?

Marie

Dear Marie,

This is tricky. The first question you need to ask is why are you losing teeth. Smokers are at an increased risk for gum disease. Advanced gum disease leads to tooth loss. If your teeth are falling out for this reason, that automatically knocks you out of contention for dental implants.

If your gums are unable to support your natural teeth, they will not be able to support your dental implants any more successfully. They will fall out just like your teeth.

If they’ve fallen out for other reasons, such as decay or trauma, it is technically possible. However, being a smoker puts you at a greater risk of dental implant failure. This is for two reasons:

1. Smoking decreases the blood flow in your gums. This makes healing more difficult and increases your chances of infection. Infection is the leading cause of dental implant failure.
2. As mentioned above, smokers have a much higher incidence of gum disease. This is devastating for implants.

Should You Get Dental Implants?

You could get dental implants from the second dentist. While it is the best tooth replacement option, it is expensive and requires surgery. As a smoker, you are at a greater risk of dental implant failure. You’ll need to ask yourself if you are willing to do what it takes to make the procedure as successful as possible.

It would help if you didn’t smoke, or at the very least cut down significantly. Make sure you take very good care of your teeth. That will mean brushing twice a day and flossing every day. In addition, you’ll want to get regular checkups.

It’s also important, because you are a high-risk case, to see a doctor with a great deal of experience placing dental implants. A periodontist would be a good option or an oral surgeon.

Gum Disease and Dental Implants

If gum disease is keeping you from getting dental implants, that should be your first priority. Without dealing with that, you will continue to lose teeth. If your heart is set on getting dental implants, my suggestion is to get temporary tooth replacements to hold the space open, while you undergo treatment for your gum disease. Then, when it’s dealt with, you can go forward with your implants.

This blog is brought to you by Atlanta Periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey.

Dental Implant Debate

Posted on November 27, 2018 by writeradmin.

I’ve gotten two quotes from dentists who do dental implants. The second one was more expensive than the first. I asked him about the price difference. He apparently does custom abutments and the first dentist uses premade ones. I need an unbiased opinion on whether or not the custom ones are truly better and worth the price difference. I want to do the best for the procedure, but don’t want to waste money.

Andrea

Dear Andrea,

This is a great question and I’m sure other people getting dental implants will benefit from you asking. Let’s start by breaking down the parts of a dental implant. The first is the root form which is surgically placed into your jawbone. It’s designed to replace the tooth root. Next, comes the abutment. It is a type of cap that allows the crown, which is the third part, to fit properly on the root.

There are two types of abutments, as the dentists demonstrated with their preferences:

Prefabricated Abutments for Dental Implants

These are pre-made which is convenient for the dentist and less expensive for the patients. However, they have two disadvantages. The first being they only come in certain sizes and it may not be the best size to fit each patient. The second being that the crown will have to be cemented to the abutment. No matter how careful and skilled a dentist is, there will be some cement that leaks out. Even with the dentist removing all he or she can, some will be left causing bacteria to get trapped there.

Those are the types of things which lead to infections. Infections are the leading cause of dental implant failure.

Custom-Made Abutments for Dental Implants

These are made to order, designed to perfectly fit with your root and crown. Because of that, it eliminates the risks mentioned above, giving you a greater chance of a successful outcome. The only real downside is they cost more than pre-fabricated ones.

If a pre-fab abutment will fit well in your case, then go with that. However, if you’d get a better fit with a custom abutment, it is worth the additional cost to eliminate unnecessary risks.

This blog is brought to you by Atlanta Periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey.

All-on-4 for the Elderly

Posted on November 6, 2018 by writeradmin.

My mom and I are in a bit of a disagreement. She’s in her upper 70s and wants to get all-on-4 dental implants. I’m worried she’s too old and being taken advantage of. She’s been complaining about her dentures for a while. I know she’s had them a long time and may just want an upgrade, but we’re talking about surgery. At her age, I think that’s dangerous. Normally, I take her to her doctor appointments, but she snuck away with a friend for this one and said the dentist told her she’s the perfect candidate. How do I know if this is true or if he’s trying to milk her for her money?

Annie

Dear Annie,

It’s obvious you care about your mother a great deal and you want to protect her. I’m going to look at this from a couple of angles.

First, let’s talk about her dentures. They’ve been bothering her for a while and you mentioned she’s had them a long time. This likely means she’s lost a lot of her jawbone structure due to facial collapse. This is a result of having dentures for as long as she has. It’s probably difficult for her to keep them from slipping. Eventually, it will become impossible having a severe impact on her ability to eat.

Dental implants prevent facial collapse; however, it does require enough bone structure to securely retain them. When a patient has lost a lot of bone, they can either have bone grafting done and then get implants, or (if they’re a candidate) they can have all-on-4 dental implants which doesn’t require as much bone.

Age and Dental Implants

The oldest patient on record to have dental implants was 100 years old. Filomena Battista had dental implants done in 2012, in fact, it put her in the Guinness Book of World Records. They were still in great condition at her passing in 2015. The age of a patient doesn’t matter. What does matter is the health of the patient.

If your mother is in good general health, then she is likely a good candidate for dental implants.

Finding a Good Implant Dentist

The more important question is who should place them. You’ll want a dentist who can do both the surgery and the restoration crown. This way there is less chance of miscommunication. Second, you want a dentist with extensive post-graduate training in dental implants. Look for someone who’s studied at the Kois Center, the Spear Institute, the Dawson Academy, or other reputable institution which teach dental implants to dentists.

Don’t hesitate to ask where they received their implant training. Also, ask how long they’ve been placing them and what their success rate is. It should be somewhere around 98%.

If all this seems in order, your mother will likely do very well. You’ll even see her quality of life improve significantly by having secure “teeth” for the first time in many years.

This blog is brought to you by Atlanta Implant Dentist Dr. David Pumphrey.

Can Dental Implants Cause Sinus Problems?

Posted on August 15, 2018 by writeradmin.

Ever since I had my dental implants placed, I’ve had one sinus infection after another. I never had sinus problems before this and I don’t know what to do. My dentist insists it’s not the implants and all my doctor does is prescribe antibiotics and recommend I take a decongestant afterward. I’ve done all of that and the infections just keep returning. Do you have a recommendation?

Myra

Dear Myra,

Who should place your dental implants?

You’re likely feeling like you’re being passed off between doctors. And you are. Your dentist doesn’t want to take a chance he’s at fault so it doesn’t sound like he’s done any real investigating. Your doctor is just treating symptoms and not trying to get to the bottom of anything.

As to your question, dental implants themselves do not cause sinus problems. However, poorly placed dental implants are a completely different story. Because your medical “providers” don’t seem to care, my recommendation is you see either someone who specializes in dental implants or an ENT.

They will do a CT scan to see if the implants are placed in a way that interferes with your sinus function. If they do, you’ll be entitled to a refund. Unfortunately, that will mean starting over with your restorations.

When Dental Implants Have to be Re-done

Because they’ll have to come out you’ll lose some bone structure. That will require bone grafting to be done in order to give the new implants adequate support. If your dentist was at fault he should pay for this procedure. You wouldn’t need it if he’d done your dental implants correctly to begin with.

A good implant dentist will make sure you get a CT scan before he plans the surgical placement. This will ensure the implants are placed in a way they don’t interfere with anything like sinuses or nerves. An implant on a nerve can cause a lifetime of pain.

Bottom line, get this looked at with someone who puts forth effort in their caregiving.
This blog is brought to you by Atlanta Periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey.