Karl Arakelian DMD Blog

Dental Implants have been an integral part of dentistry for decades. I have been restoring them since I graduated the University of Pennsylvania Dental School in 1991.

Dental implants or fixtures are a way to replace a missing tooth or multiple teeth. They are placed by a dental practitioner (i.e. oral surgeon or periodontist) who has trained in the placement of these titanium screws. Dental implants can be placed in areas of the mouth where teeth have been missing for a short period of time. They may even be placed at the time of tooth extraction. Implants can even be placed in areas where teeth have been missing for extended periods, but additional procedures may need to be performed to augment the implant’s foundation.

Once the foundation has been created by the implantologist, we, as the restorative dentist, perform the finish work and place the restoration. The restoration is connected to the implant via an abutment. The abutment (or post) is typically attached to the implant via a screw retained mechanism. The dental crown(s) is (are) either cemented or screwed into the implant body. Esthetics and function are then restored to the patient.

In my next article, I will go into more detail about the processes of implant placement, integration and restoration.

Please visit KarlArakelianDMD.com. Click on Services>Dental Implants for a very short and informative video on Implants.

Our office has been digital since 2002.

We purchased one of the first CAD-CAM machines in the Merrimack Valley that was able to produce same-day crowns. Think of a 3-D printer making a tooth out of porcelain or ceramic material. The process is time consuming, however. It would take almost two hours to complete the ‘same-day” restoration. Our patients realized they didn’t have that kind of time in today’s world.
We have recently upgraded to a digital scanner made by 3M. I didn’t think we could provide better restorative results for our patients, but today’s technology blows away previous iterations of digital dentistry. We have reverted to using outside laboratories, but the precise fit, esthetics, strength and beauty of these crowns, bridges and onlays is unbelievable.

We have also been having our implant components fabricated digitally by the laboratory.

And not to be outdone, we are having our invisible braces/retainers (Invisalign) made via our digital workflow as well.

The time in the dreaded dental chair is diminished significantly with this technology as our clinical protocols have created very predictable results. Crowns are cemented less than 10 days after the digital impression is taken, as the “impression” is immediately uploaded to the laboratory.  The lab begins its work immediately, also in digital form. The restoration/crown is then delivered to us in as few as three (3!) days.

Today, a patient had his crown cemented and was on his way to work in less than 15 minutes!

Please visit KarlArakelianDMD.com or call Dr. Karl Arakelian @ 978.373.0901.

We are located on the Bradford Common near the White Church in Bradford, MA and are accepting new patients.

We have also recently introduced a membership plan for those folks without dental insurance.

Dental Insurance has been in existence for decades. Some people have dental insurance, others do not. Those that have insurance are aware that basic preventive services (cleanings, examinations, x-rays) are covered at 100%. Fillings and more involved procedures (i.e. crowns, bridges, implants) are covered at a lesser rate or not at all. These involved, but necessary procedures, are costly. Annual premiums are also expensive, but the patient’s insurance benefit rarely exceeds $1500. This benefit has NOT increased since I entered practice with my father in 1991.

In response to an increase in dental insurance premiums and a reduction in benefits, we have introduced a plan to help those patients have affordable access to dental care. We call it the “Church Street Dental Plan”. For an annual fee, we provide two basic dental cleanings, two periodic examinations and oral cancer screenings and any necessary x-rays. Further, we offer a discount on any other procedures that need to be performed such as fillings and crowns. This plan gives patients access to care at a reasonable fee.

Initial response to this opportunity has been phenomenal since we introduced it last month.

We invite you to call our office for more information on the “Church Street Dental Plan”.

Karl Arakelian, DMD

978.373.0901