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A quick Google search for dental implants will quickly show you a lot of “dental tourism” companies that boast dental implant procedures in other countries for a fraction of what they cost in the United States. The idea is that even with travel costs, the total money spent is still relatively low, and you get a vacation as a bonus. It may sound good on the surface, but if you’re considering going abroad for dental implants, there are some issues you should keep in mind.

1. Language barriers can be a problem. Unless you just happen to speak the language of the country you’re going to, it’s not a safe assumption that the staff at dental practices there will be able to communicate with you. Needless to say, you should not accept treatment from someone unless you can fully understand each other, so this can quickly lead to a stalemate situation.

2. Standards may be different. Not all countries have the same standard of medical and dental training. If you are traveling to an unfamiliar place, it can be difficult to know for sure what training the dentist has had. Dental implant procedures are complex to carry out, and you want to be absolutely sure you are under fully qualified care.

3. Complications can be worrying. Although most dental practices around the world will ensure that every effort is made to complete a procedure safely, as with any medical procedure, sometimes unexpected things can and do happen. If that were to happen to you, would you feel comfortable being abroad, or would you rather be in your home country?

4. Corrective issues can be impossible to pursue. If you get dental implants abroad and something goes wrong with them after you get back to the United States, getting any useful help from the dental practice can be very difficult, unless you’re willing to travel back there again for follow-ups.

There are many benefits to having dental implant procedures done in your local area, and the cost may be lower than you think. Your peace of mind is worth it, and so are your teeth. If you’re going to go through the trouble to get the smile you deserve, then you also deserve to have treatment you can trust, in an environment where you will be completely comfortable, and where you can relax knowing that you’re in good hands.

Upgrading Your Dentures to Dental Implants

Traditional, removable dentures used to be the standard for replacing teeth when most or all of the teeth were missing. If you have worn dentures, or are still wearing them now, you are probably all too familiar with issues like sore gums, messy adhesives, or worse, adhesives that fail at the most inopportune moments. There can also be problems with eating and talking, both in terms of personal comfort, and general function of the dentures.

If you have heard about dental implants and are wondering what your options are for upgrading from dentures to implants, contact us at our Fairfax, VA dental practice and make an appointment to have your situation assessed. We use the most advanced Cone Beam CT scanning technology to quickly have a look at your mouth and jaw from every angle, and we can usually discuss your options with you on the same day.

One of the issues with adhesive-based dentures is that because they sit on the gums, there is no root to interact with the jaw bone underneath. Over time, this can cause the bone to deteriorate, which can lead to changes in the shape of your face and smile. With dental implants, a few titanium “roots” are placed into the bone. As the body heals from the procedure, the bone becomes fused to the implants, and afterward a bridge or denture can be fitted to the exposed bart of the implants. With an all-on-4 procedure, as few as four implants may be needed to support an entire arch of teeth.

If you’ve been curious about dental implants as an upgraded alternative to your current dentures, the sooner you come in for an assessment, the better. We can get you in for a scan and then speak to you about your options, and afterward you can decided how you want to proceed. The first and most important step is not to wait, as you want your jawbone in the best possible condition for placing the implants. Regardless of how long you’ve had your dentures, it is certainly worth coming in and getting a professional opinion about how to make your teeth more reliable and comfortable.

You will often hear dental implants spoken about in very glowing terms, with strong implications that implants are some sort of miracle treatment. While it’s true that implants provide a very advanced method of permanent tooth replacement, like any other dental work, certain precautions need to be taken to ensure that the implants are well taken care of, so that they can last as long as possible.

The first thing you can do to reduce the risk of problems with dental implants comes long before you have the procedure done. Make sure that you are in good general health and that you are a non-smoker. You should eat a balanced diet, and of course follow a strict and regular oral hygiene routine. Following healthy practices can greatly reduce the risk of your implants not “taking” properly.

Good dental hygiene is also important after your surgery. Your implants will need to be brushed and flossed just as if they were natural teeth, and you will need to be vigilant about keeping your gums healthy.

Grinding or clenching your teeth can greatly increase the risk that your implant will fail. Grinding puts a huge amount of unnecessary pressure on the teeth, and if you have an implant that is healing, you can either break the implant or cause it to move around.

One problem is that people who grind their teeth at night may not even be aware that they are doing it, though signs will be there that the dentist can see. When you come in for your dental appointment, if it appears you grind your teeth, that issue will need to be dealt with first to increase the likelihood that your implants will be successful.

Luckily there are some complications with traditional tooth replacement solutions that simply aren’t an issue with implants. For example, you will never have to worry about the problems associated with a poorly-fitting denture. You will not have to worry about losing your teeth while talking or eating, nor will you need to remove your teeth at night.

Implants that are properly taken care of will look and behave like your natural teeth, and will last many years or even decades. If you are concerned about your risk factors, or if you are diabetic or a smoker, come in for an initial assessment and get some advice on the best way to proceed. The sooner you get professional advice, the sooner your smile can be restored in every sense of the word.

For whatever reason, you may be missing a tooth, or several. Perhaps it happened in an accidental way, or you had to have the teeth pulled as a result of declining dental health. Sometimes, especially when the missing teeth are in the back where we don’t see them as readily, we get used to how it feels not to have teeth back there, and we convince ourselves that it’s not all that important to have dental implants to fill in the gaps.

If you are trying to save money by not replacing missing teeth, you need to consider that not doing anything about it may cost you more in the long run, both in terms of actual monetary cost, as well as the integrity of your facial structure.

Your teeth are for more than just chewing and smiling – their presence keeps your jaw bone from deteriorating. When you have even one missing tooth, the jaw bone wears down over time. This causes all kinds of changes in the appearance of your face. As the vertical line of the face shortens, the mouth area gradually collapses. At the beginning, this may only cause minor issues such as premature wrinkling and an appearance of advanced aging, but as the problem progresses, there may be more major concerns such as the drifting of the other teeth, trouble with eating and digestion, and damage to the joints that hold the jaw together.

If you have one or more missing teeth, you may already be noticing effects like jaw pain and headaches. Without the support of all the teeth, especially the molars, undue stress is put on the jawbone. This stress can easily translate into headaches, which you may not necessarily associate with your tooth loss. You can even develop TMJ from not having a full set of teeth.

Yes, there is some initial cost to having dental implants put in, but when you look at the alternative of letting the situation get worse, you could end up with a whole mouth of teeth that need work, or worse, teeth that end up beyond repair. And don’t discount the self-esteem factor – even if you think you’re used to not having that tooth there, having it replaced will make you feel so much better and more confident about your smile.

If you are considering your choices for replacing a missing tooth, you have likely thought about two major options: a dental implant, or a bridge. While each case is treated on an individual basis and there may be reasons why a particular patient would be better suited to one solution over another, there are some general points to consider when you are are trying to make a decision about which way to proceed with replacing your tooth.

1. Single implants stand alone, while a bridge requires support from adjacent teeth. Whereas a bridge requires the teeth on either side of the missing tooth to be filed down to accommodate the dental work, a single implant is independent and gets its own support from the jawbone. This is good news for people with a missing tooth who have otherwise healthy teeth, as the integrity of the surrounding teeth does not need to be compromised for an implant.

2. Implants help preserve your jawbone. One problem with bridges is that they do nothing to replace the root from the missing tooth, and the bone that used to surround the root can begin to deteriorate and weaken, which can cause bigger problems later in life. An implant acts as a replacement tooth root, interacting with the jawbone and keeping it from shrinking away. This in turn provides greater stability not only for the replaced tooth, but for the teeth adjacent to it.

3. A bridge may make sense in certain situations, but you may opt to have an implant anyway. If the teeth on either side of your missing tooth are in need of crowns to begin with, you may think that it makes sense just to go with a bridge for replacing the middle tooth. During your assessment, we will discuss whether an implant may be the right choice anyway, helping to reduce the amount by which the replacement tooth has to rely on its neighbors for support.

4. An implant may produce the most natural result, both aesthetically and medically. Dental implants look so much like natural teeth, people who see you smile will probably not know the difference between your implant and your other teeth. While bridges can often look natural, the best chance of getting the most attractive result lies with implants. In addition, the implant tricks the jawbone into thinking that a tooth root is still there, which is a better situation overall for the health of your mouth.

If you need several or even all of your teeth replaced with implants, you are probably worried about the discomfort involved, the cost, and how the end result will look and feel. However, it is important to note that you will not necessarily need separate implants for each tooth. All-on-4 implants combine multiple teeth onto one implant, with often an entire arch of teeth being supported on just four implants.

This may sound like two few implants to support so many teeth, but the All-on-4 procedure works slightly differently from standard single tooth implants, in that the angle of the implants is tilted to give the highest amount of stability. The two frontmost implants are placed vertically, whereas the two in the back of the mouth are tilted forward at 45 degrees. This allows the two back implants to root into the bone tissue nearer the front of the jaw, and the bone fusion occurs much more quickly.

The procedure itself takes much less time overall than separate implants, and in most cases bone grafting is not necessary. After the implants are placed in the mouth, there will probably be some discomfort and/or swelling in the mouth for a few days, but this will gradually improve. Also, the teeth you get on the day of your implants are permanent – no more temporary restorations that have to be replaced at a later date.

You will, of course, need to have a consultation to assess whether All-on-4 implants are right for you. While All-on-4 does work for many patients who need multiple teeth replaced, for some people it may not be recommended. If you are a smoker or have diabetes, for example, the dentist may have to discuss other options with you for replacing your teeth.

All-on-4 implants are known for their stability, and after your healing process is complete, you should not be able to tell the difference between your implants and natural teeth. You will be able to eat, speak, and best of all, smile normally, and there will not be any of the looseness or discomfort common with removable dentures.

For many patients, All-on-4 implants are the permanent answer to their dental woes. To find out if you are a suitable candidate, schedule an appointment today to meet with our team for a comprehensive examination and assessment.

Getting dental implants is an exciting thing. Especially if you’ve been missing one or more teeth for a while, seeing your smile complete again for the first time is a wonderful experience. Of course, the way your smile looks is only one aspect of the benefits of implants. Having a full set of teeth is important for your overall health, and can greatly impact the health of your mouth and jaw.

It is essential when you get dental implants to understand the recovery timeline, so that you will be prepared for the temporary changes you will have to make to your lifestyle after the procedure. Naturally, every patient is different and every procedure unique, so you will be given advice for your specific situation at the time of your consultation, but in general terms, here are a few things you can expect.

If you’re only having a single implant, the procedure will not affect your daily routine very much. You will probably not even experience any swelling, though there may be some soreness around the area for a day or two, and that can be controlled with pain medication. You should be able to return to work or your normal schedule the following day.

If you are having an All-on-4 procedure, it is likely that there will be some swelling that will return to normal within a few days, and you will probably need pain medication to help you for about that same length of time. You should be able to return to your normal schedule after about three days, depending on your tolerance level.

For the first month after you get your implants, you will need to be somewhat careful when eating,and avoid foods that are difficult to chew. It takes time for the bone to start growing around the implant, and you want to make sure the implant stays in the correct place while this is happening.

The part of the implant area that takes the longest time to heal is the gums. Those who have a history of poor gum health due to medical conditions, smoking, or unhealthy diet will find that their gums will take much longer to heal than those with healthy gums. Although it only takes a few days for you to be able to return to your normal life, your gums can take many weeks to heal, and may be quite swollen for some time. This is normal and is nothing to be alarmed about.

This patient was a teenager referred to us by her orthodontist as she neared the end of her orthodontic treatment. She was missing one maxillary lateral incisor, and had a malformed adult tooth on the other side. She had a false tooth in place during the orthodontics. We worked with the referring orthodontist to ensure a successful outcome. Once the teeth were straight, we gave her two natural-looking implants just in time for prom night!

If you are missing teeth and are considering dental implants, you probably know that the dental implant process is becoming increasingly more available thanks to technology advances and more dentists who are trained to place natural-looking and completely functional teeth through the use of dental implants. We realize there are some who are interested in how the process works, and for those folks, we are providing a basic explanation of the process.

After we have determined that a patient is a candidate for dental implants, we take a digital CT scan of the patient’s head, to capture an image of the bone and surrounding structure in which to place dental implants. We are using digitally developed surgical guides more frequently to ensure the most accurate placement of the implants..

We upload the scan to computer software with implant data embedded within it. The software helps us ascertain exactly where to place implants, and after careful review, we have the lab prepare a surgical guide which we use for accurate implant placement. We have found that the surgical guides provide for a predictably successful result.

The surgical guide allows us to place as many as 14 new teeth using as little as four implants in the process, in only one surgical appointment! For patients who need only one or two implants, we usually can place porcelain crowns directly on the implants on the same day as implant placement. For patients who require more than a couple of implants, we can place a temporary conversion prosthesis (see below), which is functionally the same as a full arch of teeth, on the implants. A few months later, we attach permanent porcelain teeth, with no additional surgery required. This approach to replacing missing teeth is often referred to as “Teeth in a Day” or “All on Four.”

If you have ever considered dental implants to preserve your smile, please read our most recent case study:

When Dorothy first visited us, most of her posterior teeth (her molars) were missing. She had completed chemotherapy and radiation treatments for breast cancer treatment about 8 years previous to her visit. About five years after her cancer treatment was complete she began having issues with her teeth and as a result had most of her molars extracted. Since the molars protect the front teeth, her chewing efficiency was compromised, her nutrition suffered, and she was beginning to lose her front teeth. The “vertical dimension” of her smile was diminished by the missing molars as well. Her chin was getting closer to her nose, and the corners of her lips were turning down prematurely, increasing the prominence of the nasolabial fold “wrinkles” of her face.

Until recently, the typical treatment plan for Dorothy would have been a full or partial upper and lower denture. She was only 60 years young and I knew that if she had enough bone to support dental implants not only would she be able to retain her existing jaw bone but she would also be able to have esthetically and functionally natural teeth for the rest of her life. We could regain her natural vertical dimension, giving her, in effect, a “nonsurgical facelift”. The corners of her mouth would be uplifted, and the prominence of her nasolabial folds would diminish.

We took an x-ray on a Prexion 3D Cone Beam CT Scanner and I knew immediately that I could place at least two implants. After studying Dorothy’s CT scan further and utilizing the Prexion virtual implant placement software, I found that I could potentially place 7 implants with the use of CAD/CAM technology and an implant surgical guide. Having the advantage of being able to place implant supported molars allowed us to stabilize her jaw structure to regain her lost vertical dimension. We are now able to open up her over-closed smile, renew her ability to chew all foods, protect the front teeth and regain the original length of her front teeth with the use of porcelain veneers. Thanks to the technology of the CT scanner, as well as many other recent advances in dental technology available to us, and our many years of training, we are now able to do a full mouth reconstruction on this cancer survivor and give her a brand new functional, beautiful and natural smile to use for the rest of her life.

If you are missing teeth like Dorothy, whether from a pre-existing medical condition, an accident, childhood trauma, neglect, or any other reason, you may be able to replace those missing teeth and recover the health, function, and attractiveness that comes from having a complete set of teeth. Contact us today at 703-352-2010 to find out when you can start smiling for the rest of your life!