The upfront costs of dental implants are typically the only obstacle for some patients who want to replace missing teeth. Although the long term cost efficiency of dental implants makes them a better option than other tooth replacement alternatives, dental implants do have a failure rate. Here are tips to help you enjoy a successful outcome and an excellent investment:

Select Your Dentist Carefully: Dental implants must be selected and placed properly, and then carefully maintained (at home and through regular dental check-ups). The success rate of dental implants is over 95%, although smokers have a failure rate 2.5 times higher than that of non-smokers. Experienced implant dentists have around a 99% success rate, which is why it’s important to ask about the implant training and success rate of your doctor.

Longevity: A dental implant that has been selected, placed and maintained properly should last for a lifetime. A bridge will need replacement in an average of 10 years on average. Dentures will also need replacing or modification in about ten years because bone loss changes the fit of the denture. This is caused by the absence of tooth roots in the jaw and pressure of dentures. Looking at a 20 year period, your bridge or denture costs have now doubled, whereas the dental implants are worry-free.

Protecting Oral Health: In order to support a bridge, healthy natural teeth have to be cut down to serve as anchors for the bridge. This creates more susceptibility for tooth decay. Because it can be more difficult to clean around bridges, the accumulation of plaque increases the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Jaw bone loss is also a problem with removable dentures, which can lead to an aged appearance far beyond one’s actual years. Dental implants function the same as natural teeth without special care or requiring the support of adjacent teeth. The additional costs of treating decay or gum disease caused by a partial or full removable denture must be factored in when calculating the long term cost efficiency compared to the one-time expense of dental implants.

Enhanced Overall Health & Confidence: Dental implants give a natural look and feel while restoring a dependable, comfortable bite and chewing function. Trying to eat with removable dentures is often over-shadowed with fears of embarrassment. Those who wear removable dentures also have a tendency to select soft food that dissolve easily and quickly in the mouth. Thus, they often deprive themselves of fiber and protein-rich foods and satisfying, vitamin-packed fruits and vegetables.

Bottom Line: Initially, dental implants typically cost more than other dental restorations but are the clear winners when it comes to the investment. Because dental implants prevent bone loss, enhance dental (and overall) health and keep replacement teeth more secure for a lifetime, the long-term benefits far outweigh the initial expense. Dental implants can also enhance your quality of life and actually lower the costs to maintain a healthy mouth over the course of your lifetime.

Occasionally, we have a Dental Implant patient who does not want to “be put to sleep” during treatment.

In our office, we use oral sedation. In pill form, no needles are used to administer the medication and the recovery is quick. Oral sedation enables patients to feel refreshed rather than the ‘spaced out’ feeling that I.V. sedation (or ‘twilight sleep’) can leave, although it does have an amnesiac effect. Some patients tell us they remember hearing  voices, but most have no memory of the procedure at all.

While the amnesiac effect is an appealing advantage of sedation, sedation helps patients be more relaxed. Since many implant placement procedures require over an hour’s time in the treatment chair, sedation helps to eliminate after-treatment fatigue from muscle tension.

In addition to sedation, we apply numbing medications to the area being treated to create optimal comfort for patients. We never want any procedure we perform to be painful at any time, regardless of the addition of sedation.

We treat all patients with respect and a gentle touch. We are just as committed to comfort for patients who do not want to be sedated as we are for those who are. Our goal is to help each person achieve a restored mouth that is healthy. If we can accommodate specific requests, such as treatment without sedation, then we will do what will provide the safest, most comfortable and successful outcome.

There will never be a substitute for regular tooth brushing and flossing to help avoid developing periodontal (gum) disease.  Combined with regular dental check-ups, having a thorough home care commitment is paramount in avoiding bacterial build-up. However, because people are more susceptible to oral issues, here are ways to bolster your time at the sink.

• Eat a well-balanced diet. Some foods can promote healthy teeth and gums, particularly those that contain Vitamin D, Omega-3 and Calcium. These have been shown to help in reducing the risk for periodontal disease.

• If you smoke, you should know … Smoking is very drying to tissues in the mouth, which increases your risk for periodontal disease. A dry mouth is a major contributor to developing periodontal disease!

• Stay in shape! Studies show that people who are at a healthy weight and are physically fit have a lower risk for periodontal disease than those who are sedentary.

• Keep stress levels low. Stress has been found to contribute to a number of health problems, including gum disease. Research shows that stress increases cortisol, which can intensify bacterial damage to the gums and bones that support teeth. Another study revealed that stressed out people are more likely to neglect their oral hygiene.

• Be committed to annual physicals. Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease. It has been associated with  diabetes, cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis and much more. Annual screening for systemic disease can enable you to have early treatment, and in turn, benefit your periodontal health.

Periodontal disease, if untreated, can lead to tooth loss and cause problems with other systems of the body. Because your periodontal health has been shown to correlate to overall health, keeping both your oral health and overall health in good condition will keep you smiling, from head to toe!

I recently attended the Southern Academy of Periodontics Winter Meeting (held in Charlotte, January 25-26). During this time, I attended clinical lectures that addressed the latest developments in helping patients achieve optimal periodontal health.

Dr. Robert Fazio, a Periodontist and Yale University Instructor, presented the latest on the best use of antibiotics in dentistry. This is of particular interest since inappropriate antibiotic use (typically over-use) has resulted in antibiotic resistant bacteria.  This makes it extremely difficult to treat patients who are periodontally compromised. Dr. Fazio also addressed the latest techniques to treat and prevent periodontitis (gum infections) and infections from dental implants.

Another interesting  program was “Global Diagnosis : A New Vision of Dental Diagnosis and Treatment Planning.” This lecture provided the very best methods for comprehensive diagnosis and treatment services for patients referred by their Dentist or another Dental Specialist. By combining our skills and working as a team, we can each provide the best care for patients who need comprehensive care to maintain or replace teeth.