I never thought it would happen.
My wife grew up with several siblings and never had orthodontic treatment. Her teeth are not unhealthy or unsightly, but some crowding on both top and bottom teeth has started. It took a fair bit of convincing, but I started her Invisalign (invisible braces) treatment last month.
I wanted a few weeks of her wearing the clear retainers before I dared declare success, but she is well on the way to straighter teeth.
Previously, we spoke about the basics of dental implant placement and subsequent dental restorations on top of the implant(s). Today, I will elaborate on the timing of each of the procedures.
When a patient presents to our office as a candidate for dental implants to replace missing teeth, we evaluate the area(s) and educate the patient about the process. We also provide options as there can be multiple other means to replace a tooth or in some cases many teeth. There are also situations where we replace an entire arch. That is, all of the top and/or bottom teeth.
Please visit our website for concise patient videos about the process and other available options.
http://www.karlarakeliandmd.com/traditional-crowns–bridges.html
As an example, let us suppose a patient is missing a molar. We want to replace it with a dental implant restoration, because the patient has lost significant chewing ability.
We refer the patient to one of our local implant surgeons. They can be either an oral surgeon or a periodontist (gum specialist).
Once the the implant is placed, we have to ensure that the the bone and gum surrounding the implant is healthy (integrated). This integration process may take 3-6 months.
In our example, a molar (back tooth) is missing, so we don’t usually need a temporary appliance. But if a front tooth is missing, the patient typically requires something to wear for the interim.
Once the surgeon has verified the health of the implant, we, as the restorative dentist, can proceed to the final crown.
This where it starts to get really cool.
We have a digital scanner made by 3M that takes a series of digital images of the implant, the adjacent teeth, and the other jaw. We upload those images to our dental laboratory, and they fabricate a custom abutment and crown. The custom abutment is a post that is screwed into the implant, and the crown is the cap that the patient is able to now chew with. And voila, the process is complete.
Please call our office at 978.373.0901 for more information and mention this blog post for a complementary consultation.
Athletes, both young and old, have been participating in sports for generations.
Some sports involve contact (football, lacrosse, hockey). Others do not (soccer, baseball, basketball). But we all know that these “non-contact” sports have moments when there is contact.
The National Youth Sports Foundation estimates that 5 million! teeth will be knocked out this year during sports related events. That number seems extraordinarily high, even incomprehensible, but we see numerous traumatic dental events in our dental office that are sports related. We’ve even seen fractured teeth from kids playing with their dog on the kitchen floor.
Kids wear mouthguards (or sportsguards) when they are mandated, but they are often of the over-the-counter variety. As a youth lacrosse coach, I see these disposable appliances all over the fields, because kids just aren’t wearing them. They are ill-fitting and end up as chew toys dangling from the athlete’s mouth.
Our office recommends custom fitted sports mouthguards manufactured by a dental laboratory. They are more expensive than OTC options, but the cost to repair or replace a tooth is significantly higher than a well fitting appliance. Properly cared for, they can last indefinitely if the child’s teeth are mostly erupted and properly aligned.
Mouthguards also minimize the effects of head injuries in sports as well. But that is another topic altogether.
Please call Dr. Arakelian at 978.373.0901 or visit KarlArakelianDMD.com for more information.
There are less than two months left in 2015, with the holidays right around the corner.
Dental work is never high on people’s priorities, but annual insurance benefits expire for most policies at the end of the calendar year.
And don’t forget about your Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) or Health Savings Accounts (HSA).
So use them or lose them.
Whether you were thinking of whitening your teeth, straightening them with Invisible Braces (Invisalign), or taking care of that crown restoration you have been putting off, now is the time to call our office.
We would be happy to discuss your remaining benefits with you.
KarlArakelianDMD.com
978.373.0901
After several months of design challenges, we are proud to display our new website designed by TNT Dental in Dallas, TX. We love the new format, graphics and free flowing format.
It is filled with basic contact information, patient education videos and a summary of our services.
The mobile version is also very user friendly for your mobile device, tablet or even your phablet (your phone that looks like a tablet).
When you a free moment, I welcome you to check out KarlArakelianDMD.com .
One day, while looking at old pictures of himself, 34-year-old American Idol finalist Elliott Yamin noticed something peculiar. “I [had] figured out how to kind of smile without displaying all my teeth,” he told an interviewer with People magazine. The reason: Yamin (like many other people) was unhappy with the way his teeth looked. And others noticed it too: “[They] wrote things in magazines, called me Snaggletooth and things like that,” he said.
Yamin’s situation came to the attention of dentists from across the country, several of whom offered to fix his crossbite and other problems. One of them even provided the singer with computer-generated renderings of how he’d look after a total “smile makeover” — and that was enough to convince him. Finally, after receiving a set of porcelain veneers and other dental work — all provided free of charge by the concerned dentist — Yamin has the smile he always dreamed of.
You don’t have to be an American Idol finalist to appreciate the benefit of having a super smile — and it’s never too late to get started! As Yamin found out, a “smile analysis” is the first step, and it’s a critical part of the process. This is the time when you and your dentist get to know each other, and begin talking about what kind of a look you want to achieve, and what you should realistically expect.
But it can be tough to express in words exactly what your idea of a perfect smile looks like. Are the teeth completely regular in alignment and “Hollywood white?” A little bit asymmetrical and more natural-looking — or something in between? And exactly how would that look on you? Fortunately, we have a variety of ways to help you make those decisions.
One is computer-generated images, like the ones that persuaded Yamin. Convenient and relatively easy to produce, they’re a great way to preview possible changes before a single tooth is touched. However, some people may find it hard to picture their new smile from different angles and in different lights. If you’d like a better representation, it’s possible to produce a 3-D model of the proposed work before it’s done. This can let you truly visualize your new smile in a realistic way.
If you need even more evidence before deciding, there’s still more that can be done. Your teeth can be built up to their new contours with composite resin, a tooth-colored restoration material that can change tooth shape and size with relative ease. A related procedure, the “provisional restoration,” gives you a complete preview of the final work. When you’re satisfied, the “temporary” materials are replaced with more permanent ones, like long-lasting porcelain veneers. Whichever method you choose, you’ll be on your way to a better looking smile.
If you would like more information about a smile makeover, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more by reading the Dear Doctor magazine articles “Great Expectations — Perceptions in Smile Design” and “Smile Design Enhanced with Porcelain Veneers.”
Are you unhappy with the appearance of your smile? Do you get anxious about smiling in social settings? Have you ever wished you had teeth like your favorite celebrity? If you have answered yes to any of these questions it might be time to discuss a smile makeover with us!
During our initial meeting we will ask you exactly what look you are hoping to achieve. Open communication will help ensure ultimate success and satisfaction — you need to tell us what you want and we need to tell you what is actually possible. Then we can plan a solution that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional.
We will also decide which cosmetic materials and techniques to use; this can range from composite resins (tooth-colored fillings), porcelain veneers (thin layers of dental ceramic that are bonded to your tooth enamel) or porcelain crowns (which replace the entire external form of a tooth).
Essentially, most people seem to want one of two looks — a “perfect” Hollywood smile or a more “natural” look. For those who want a “perfect” smile, we will focus on achieving symmetry so that your smile appears perfectly balanced. We will also focus on achieving uniform and maximum tooth brightness and whiteness.
For those who want a more “natural” smile, we can enhance your smile by gently improving brightness while maintaining a more normal symmetry to each tooth shape and size. This can produce a more elegant, youthful smile, not just a Hollywood white smile. We can also maintain slight color, shape and shade variations throughout your mouth.
The best tool for testing our vision is with the use of a tool we call a “provisional restoration.” During this phase of the process we will actually create your new smile using temporary materials, allowing you to “test drive” your new look before committing to permanent materials. This way we can make sure you get exactly what you want. Once you give us the green light, these restorations will be replaced with your permanent new teeth.
Call our office today so we can get started! For more information on the importance of communication between dentist and patient during a smile makeover, read the Dear Doctor magazine article “Great Expectations: Is What You Get What You Want?”
Martha Stewart has built a flourishing career by showcasing the things she’s designed and made — like floral arrangements, crafts, and even home renovations. Just recently, she was showing off her latest restoration project: a new dental bridge. In fact, she live-tweeted the procedure from her dentist’s office… and she even included pictures of the bridgework before it was placed on her teeth!
OK, it’s a departure from paper crafts and home-made pillows… but why not? We can’t help feeling that there’s just as much craftsmanship — even artistry — in dental bridgework as there is in many other custom-made items. If you learn a little more about what goes into making and placing bridgework, perhaps you’ll understand why we feel that way.
Bridgework is one good solution to the problem of missing teeth (another is dental implants). A fixed bridge is anchored to existing teeth on either side of the gap left by missing teeth, and it uses those healthy teeth to support one or more lifelike replacement teeth. How does it work?
Fabricated as a single unit, the bridge consists of one or more crowns (caps) on either end that will be bonded or cemented to the existing teeth, plus a number of prosthetic teeth in the middle. The solid attachment of the crowns to the healthy teeth keeps the bridge in place; they support the artificial teeth in between, and let them function properly in the bite.
Here’s where some of the artistry comes in: Every piece of bridgework is custom-made for each individual patient. It matches not only their dental anatomy, but also the shape and shade of their natural teeth. Most bridges are made in dental laboratories from models of an individual’s teeth — but some dental offices have their own mini-labs, capable of fabricating quality bridgework quickly and accurately. No matter where they are made, lifelike and perfect-fitting bridges reflect the craftsmanship of skilled lab technicians using high-tech equipment.
Once it is made, bridgework must be properly placed on your teeth. That’s another job that requires a combination of art and science — and it’s one we’re experts at. From creating accurate models of your mouth to making sure the new bridge works well with your bite, we take pride in the work we do… and it shows in your smile.
If you would like more information about dental bridges, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can learn more by reading the Dear Doctor magazine articles “Fixed vs. Removable Bridges” and “Dental Implants vs. Bridgework.”
When asked about her dazzling white smile, Cat Cora, the first female iron chef on the hit television series Iron Chef America, freely admits to maintaining the brightness of her smile with professional whitening sessions.
“With what I do, whitening your teeth is like getting your hair done, your nails done and everything else you have to do to be on television,” Cat recently told Dear Doctor magazine. However, she does have her limits. “I want my teeth to be white and healthy looking — but not stark white or looking like they could glow in the dark,” she said with a laugh.
Cat’s perceptions and experiences with tooth whitening may accurately describe Hollywood, but through the power of media, celebrities and their respective fan bases, having attractive white teeth has become a goal for most people. This is because white teeth are subconsciously associated with youth and virility.
Here in the dental office, we can use professional-strength “power bleaching” to whiten teeth several shades in a single visit. To prevent irritation to the area surrounding the teeth being treated, we isolate the gums and skin of the mouth with a protective gel or a rubber barrier known as a dental dam. After the whitening solution is placed on the teeth, the process may be supplemented by heat or a light source to activate or enhance peroxide release.
For bleaching teeth at home, our office can make custom-fitted bleaching trays that you fill with a gel form of carbamide peroxide. Sometimes this whitening gel can cause a temporary tooth sensitivity to hot and cold, but this normally lasts for no more than four days after you stop bleaching your teeth.
To learn more about tooth whitening, you can continue reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Teeth Whitening.” Or you can contact us today to schedule an appointment so that we can conduct a thorough examination and discuss what treatment options will be best for you. And to read the entire interview with Cat Cora, please see the article “Cat Cora.”
Perhaps you’ve heard a lot about dental implants, an increasingly popular tooth replacement system. Although they can be expensive (depending on the exact application) they have a number of important benefits that add value to your investment.
Here are four of those benefits that make dental implants one of the best tooth replacement options available:
Life-like Appearance. Like an automobile, an implant’s “engine” — the titanium post inserted into the jawbone — is covered by a stylish “body” — the visible crown, custom-made to look just like the natural tooth. Composed of porcelain ceramic or a similar translucent material, the implant crown is the key to not only restoring natural function in the mouth but also rejuvenating your smile.
Long-term Durability. Implants have been in use for over three decades (over 3 million placed since their introduction) and have built an impressive track record for durability. If properly cared for, it’s possible for dental implants to last for many years or even a lifetime. Compared with other restorations that may not last as long and lead to additional dental cost, the implant’s “return on investment” can be quite high.
Contribution to Bone Health. Most implants are made of surgical titanium, which has a strong affinity with bone. In time, bone cells will grow and fuse with the titanium. The result is not only a solid anchoring of the implant into the jaw, but also the preservation and possible re-growth of bone mass where it may have been lost.
Versatility. Although implants are often used as a single tooth replacement, they’re increasingly used in multiple-tooth replacements. A few strategically placed implants can permanently support a bridge (two or more teeth linked together), an arch (an entire set of upper or lower teeth), or as a foundational support for a removable denture, particularly the lower arch.
If you’ve experienced tooth loss, a preliminary dental examination will determine if you’re a potential candidate for dental implant replacement. If so, dental implants could be a way for you to not only restore lost function but also regain your smile.
If you would like more information on dental implants, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Dental Implants 101.”
