Q: What are some of the benefits of cosmetic dentistry?

A : A great smile should improve your self-confidence, which can have a positive impact on the social and professional aspects of your life. Cosmetic dentistry is not just about pretty smiles though. Now your mouth can look great, get healthy and function better at the same time.

Q : How much does it cost to get a great smile?

A : Like most services, cost will vary based on the time required and the difficulty of the procedures. Generally, improving a smile will require a combination of treatment options such as bleaching, reshaping gums and using bonded materials (resin or porcelain) to improve the appearance of teeth. A great way to start is to schedule a consultation with us to determine the ways that you can reach your goals. Improving your smile is an investment in you.

Q : If my teeth are reshaped for veneers or crowns, what will they look like? Will they be sensitive?

A: Generally, cemented restorations like crowns or veneers (see our procedure section) will require two visits – one to shape the teeth, and one to cement the restorations to the teeth. In between, your dentist can place attractive temporary restorations to help prevent sensitivity, allow function and provide a nice smile. These temporaries are designed to be in your mouth for a limited time, but should be comfortable and natural looking until you can get your new smile completed.

Q: Is my new smile permanent?

A : With good home care and regular visits to your dentist, modern materials can last for many years and possibly decades. Like most things, excellent maintenance will extend the life of your dental restorations.

Q : Is teeth whitening bad for patient's enamel?

A : There is no permanent damage caused to the enamel or any other tooth structures by tooth whitening.

Q : Does teeth whitening cause permanent teeth sensitivity?

A : Sensitivity from teeth whitening is always transient. That means if there is any sensitivity caused by the whitening, it goes away within one to two days after the cessation of bleaching, and the patient returns to the state of sensitivity that they had before they started the whitening process.

Q : What is a dental implant made of?

A : A dental implant is basically a dental root and replaces the natural root almost completely. The part of the denture that doesn't belong to the actual implant is fixed upon the artificial root. Most dental implants consist of different compositions of metals or ceramic. Today the metal titan, in its purest composition, has asserted itself as the ultimate material for the manufacturing of implants. Titan exhibits a very good biocompatibility, grows very tight to the jaw bone, and is perfectly compatible with tissue.

The dental implant consists of three parts:

• The body of the implant. It is attached to the jaw bone by screwing or driving.
• Through implant pillars, a connection between the body of the implant and the supra construction is established.
• The supra construction constitutes the visible part of the implant and consists of telescope, crown, and/or bridge.

Q : What happens during an implantation?

A : By dissecting the oral mucosa and folding it sideward, the dentist lays bare the jaw bone around the area where the implant is going to be inserted. Following that, the usual procedure would be for the dentist to drive a hole into the jaw bone where the implant will be engrafted, while the patient is under local anesthesia. Since there fixing methods for implants available on the market vary, the dentist may mill a groove into the jaw bone instead of driving a hole. Once done, either the dentist, or the oral surgeon will insert the implant into its hole and suture the mucosa together. Finally, for the period of wound healing, the implant is supplied with an interim prosthetic.

Q : Can all patients wear implants?

A : Although age does not play a decisive role in whether someone can have an implant inserted, there are some limitations as to the principality of the option to wear one. What appears most critical in this regard is the condition of the jaw bone, and here particularly the state of the remaining osseous substance. Moreover, the general state of health of the patient's dentition and past and potential diseases of the teeth and the jaw bone are crucial factors for the dentist to make recommendations for the most appropriate treatments.

Q : What are the medical conditions allowing for an implantation?

A :In order to place an implant, the osseous structure of the jaw bone is required to be in excellent condition. The existing and remaining teeth would have to be cleaned up and any gum disease would needed proper healing before any of the implants can be placed. In the event of potential or actual cardiovascular diseases, malignancy, or chemotherapy, the dentist is most likely to decline the implantation.

Q : What is going to happen if the existing jaw bone comes in insufficient quantity and/or poor quality?

A :In principle, implantations can be conducted even with jaw bones of insufficient quantity or poor quality. However, it may become necessary to support the jaw ridge, so as to provide the implants with the necessary grip to endure. To ensure the implant to remain fixed, oral surgeons apply a synthetic, osseous-like material. The oral surgeon inserts this synthetic, osseous-like bone-supporting material into the jaw bone in such a way that some sort of routing rail, along which the newly developing jaw bone would find some grip and foundation to adhere to. The synthetic osseous-like material is scattered with small voids. Within these voids or pores, the newly developing jaw bone may find its enduring grip. Made of pure plasma material, the synthetic bone substance will have been completely absorbed by the existing jaw bone within a year. Additionally, its biocompatibility is very good and infections are hardly documented.

Q : Does the implantation cause any pain?

A :Good dentists take utmost care and see that during the placing of implants no pain will be caused. Local anesthesia is widely applied to suppress any throbbing or stings, or the dentist is cooperating with anesthetists who assume the duty to observe and monitor nervous patients while they are under general anesthesia.

Q : Which disturbances are likely to be occurring after the placing of implants?

A :Similar to tooth removals by surgery, the insertion of implants requires an extended period of wound healing. Despite careful dental care and hygiene, there remain the residual risks usually associated with removals of decaying teeth.

Q : Are there, during or after implantations, any other concurrences likely to pose a risk?

A :As after the placing of implants bacteria can infest the interspaces between the implant and the dissected oral mucosa, patients should be advised to prioritize oral hygiene, because other wise local inflammations are most likely to occur. Since laxity with regard to oral hygiene may cause inflammations, the wound healing process may come to a halt. This standstill of the healing process could eventually necessitate the removal of the implant, thus causing a loss of implants. These concurrences particularly concern the 20 months of the wound healing process. Moreover, pain and other hazards may arise after dental implantations in the following events.

• Too much force applied to the implant during the healing process may cause pain and feelings of pressure.
• The upper jaw and particularly the maxillary antrum are exposed to inflammations.
• If the dentist happens to have injured a nerve during the surgical procedure, the patient may suffer from a feeling of numbness.
• In rare occasions, unrealized diseases due to not properly conducted diagnoses may cause disruptions as to the wound healing process after implantations.

Q : Can dental implants be getting lost?

A :Just as own teeth may be infested with periodontosis, can dental implants also be prone to such concurrences. Thus, dental implants may also be subject to loss if infested with periodontosis. To avoid these concurrences, patients need to sufficiently look after their dental hygiene.

Q : What comes after the surgical procedure of a dental implantation?

A :During the entire wound healing process, the implant should be checked by the dentist at regular intervals. This allows the consulting oral surgeon to see whether the implant is either accepted, or rejected by the jaw, and if its adhesion to the jaw bone is well under way. The time span, during which the implant is accepted by the jaw and increasingly adheres to the jaw bone, is usually about 8 months. Once the healing process is completed, the interim crown will be removed so as to make room for the prosthetic care. Thus, the entire process of planting an implant will have been accomplished within 6-8 months. Still, the patient should observe the regular follow-up checks.