1) What Causes Tooth Loss?
The most common causes of tooth loss are dental caries, also known as tooth decay, and periodontal disease, which affects the gums and bone structure that supports the teeth. Dental caries is the major cause of tooth loss in children, and periodontal disease is the major cause of tooth loss in adults; however, it too can afflict youngsters.

2) What Causes Periodontal Diseases?
Plaque, a thin, colorless, sticky film containing bacteria, which constantly forms on the teeth. These bacteria use carbohydrates—sugars and starches—to produce an acid that attacks the enamel covering the teeth. After repeated acid attacks, the enamel can be broken down and a cavity begins. Continued acid attacks eventually dissolve the enamel and penetrate the softer, inner layer of the tooth, where decay can spread rapidly throughout the tooth’s structure. Acid attacks begin immediately after every meal or snack and last about 20 to 30 minutes.

3) Can Periodontal Diseases Be Prevented?
Teeth can be protected from acid attacks by removing plaque, reducing the number of times and the amount of sugar and starches eaten, using fluorides, having plastic sealants applied to teeth, and by regular professional cleaning of teeth by a dental hygienist.

4) How Does Plaque Attack the Gums?
Plaque can also produce harmful byproducts that irritate the gums, causing gingivitis, the early stage of periodontal diseases. If plaque isn’t removed daily, it will build up into a hard deposit called calculus. If plaque continues to form on top of the calculus, it can irritate the gums, and a pocket may develop between the teeth and gums. Plaque build up can eventually destroy the gums and bone that support the teeth.

5) How Do You Stop Plaque Attacks?
Two key factors in preventing dental caries are fluoride and dental sealants. Fluoride compounds are found naturally in soil, water, and in many foods. Plaque attacks can’t be stopped, but you can help to prevent plaque build-up by following a good oral care program of brushing, flossing, rinsing, and regular visits to your oral health care professional.

6) What are implants?
Implants are specially made posts that replace the roots of teeth that are missing and can be used to support a new crown, fixed bridge or denture. They are made of titanium, a strong and lightweight material which has been shown to be compatible with the body and safe for use.

7) What are the advantages over conventional replacements?
Though bridges and dentures can serve us satisfactorily, Implants provide better support and usually result in more comfortable and stable replacement teeth. They provide better chewing efficiency and may allow you to have permanent fixed teeth without trimming your own natural teeth for support, or having to remove the teeth every day. Implants also slow down the shrinkage of your jawbone which occurs as a result of tooth loss.

8) Are implants dangerous to health?
Titanium rejection by the body is extremely rare. There have never been any reports of them being the cause of cancer, immunological conditions or any life-threatening disease.

9) Can Anyone Have Implants?
Unfortunately, just having missing teeth does not automatically qualify someone to have dental implants. Some of the criteria that we need to look at are:
Is the patient’s general health satisfactory? What is the general condition of the mouth? The remainder of the teeth and gums needs to be stable in order to put in dental implants which are likely to work. If there are other areas of the mouth with dental decay, broken teeth, or gum disease these will need to be treated first before implants are placed. We will give you an idea of other work that may be needed in order to make the mouth stable.
Can the patient maintain a healthy mouth? The success of implants depends upon the ability of the patient to keep their teeth and gums clean. We need to be sure this will take place before implants are placed. We will always advise you on how to care for your mouth to allow you to have implants, and also how to care for your new teeth.
Is there sufficient quantity and quality of bone present to allow implants to be placed?Without the right amount of bone in the right place, it is difficult to place implants. Our diagnostic process will help to determine the availability of bone. This is usually done with the help of x-rays. In some cases, we may use a CT-type scan to obtain a 3-dimensional image for more accurate bone assessment. In cases where sufficient bone is not available a range of grafting techniques can be used.

10) Is there an age limit to implants?
Implants are not advised in the very young, implants are fixed firmly in position in the bone and therefore for results to be predictable growing must have stopped prior to implant placement.  However, age itself is not a barrier. The state of your health is an important criteria and your dentist will determine your suitability for surgery.

11) What guarantee do we have and what is the success rate?
Though no one can ever guarantee success, the procedure has been very well tested and has a success rate of 90-95% in general over a 5 to 10 year period. Some implants have been monitored for more than 30 years. There will be a need for minor maintenance from time to time even in successful implant treatment. The crowns and dentures attached to the implants will require repairs and adjustments just like any dental procedures.

12) What are the known complications?
As in all surgical procedures there are reported complications. In Implant Dentistry these are mainly either due to a failure of the implant to integrate with the jaw bone, or due to damage to adjacent anatomical structures. The incidence of these complications is very small, and with careful pre-operative planning the risks are kept to an absolute minimum. Where an implant does not integrate with bone, this is sometimes due to a patient having an unfavourable bone pattern or the presence of pre-existing pathology or infection. Often, the site can be left to heal for a few months and the implant successfully reinserted. 

Occasionally implants can still fail after several years of having worked well. There may be several reasons for this; one of the most common reasons is overloading of implants due to either an insufficient number of implants in the first place (the patient may have insisted on fewer implants than ideal to save costs), or too much stress being placed on the implants because of a patient’s habit of excessively grinding or clenching their teeth. Again, a thorough assessment and appropriate treatment plan is essential to minimise risks.

An additional long term complication of dental implant treatment is a condition known as perimplantitis.  This is a condition similar to periodontitis (gum disease) around natural teeth. The condition is usually painless and associated with inflammation of the gums and progressive loss of bone around the implant.  Just like periodontitis it is prevented by careful tooth brushing and daily cleaning of the implants as well as regular checkups.  Patients who have lost teeth because of gum disease, as well as smokers and diabetic patients are at a higher risk of developing perimplantitis and regular check ups are vital for these groups.

13) Can implants improve my appearance?
Though the main reason for placing implants is to improve our comfort, chewing and speaking abilities, our teeth play an important part in our appearance and implants can likewise play a role to enhancing our appearance.

14) What is the actual procedure?
We need to do a surgical procedure to bury the implant within the jawbone and allow the body to heal naturally. After about 3-6 months, the implants will be strong enough to support the load of new teeth which is attached to them. During the healing period, you will be provided with temporary "teeth" to allow you to carry on your way of life until the bone completely surrounds the implant. This may be an adhesive-type bridge or a denture.

15) What is bone grafting associated with implants?
Successful placement of implants depends on the presence of bone of sufficient quality and quantity. This is not always present in every patient. A lack of bone is usually related to local factors such as how the gums healed after tooth extraction, rather than any general medical condition.
It was previously thought that in areas where there was insufficient bone it was not possible to place implants. There have now been great advances made in procedures to increase the amount of available bone either by use of endogenous bone (i.e. belonging to the patient) or a range of artificial substitutes or a combination of both. These grafting techniques are simple and often carried out at the time of implant placement. For areas where there is significant lack of bone more complex grafting procedures can also be carried out to restore bone volume.  In those cases bone grafting may have to be carried out and left to heal for 6 months prior to having the implants placed.

16) What materials are available to replace bone?
In some cases the patients own bone can be used, either bone close to the implant site or from the chin or the back of the lower jaw or in severe cases outside the mouth.  Increasingly artificial bone substitutes are being developed.  One of the most widely used materials is derived from cow bone; this material is processed to remove all organic material and prions (the infective agent responsible for mad cow disease).  Purely man made materials are available made from minerals however they are in the earliest stages of use and they can be more unpredictable.  All of these materials form a scaffolding which your body slowly dissolves and replaces with new bone.

17) How long does the procedure take?
This depends largely on complexity but can range from one to two hours per implant. You will be advised of the schedule for the different visits. You might need to take a couple of days off work after the insertion of the implants.

18) What should I expect during surgery?

The procedure is normally carried out under local anaesthesia. For patients who are anxious, intravenous sedation is also offered. During the surgery, the local anaesthesia and sedation given practically eliminates all pain. After the surgery, there will be some discomfort, swelling or bruising but with the appropriate medication, it is usually not unduly uncomfortable. However, it is important to note that different people

19) Do you accept dental insurance?
We accept most dental insurance and will gladly file insurance claims and try to maximize your benefits. (Please be prepared to pay your portion of the bill at your visit).

20) What payment methods do you accept, and what are my financing options?
We accept cash, checks and credit cards. If you would like to finance your dental work we can help you apply for CareCredit.

21) Is Nitrous Oxide Safe?
Nitrous oxide is very safe, because it's easy to take and mild. Nitrous oxide is not addictive. While inhaling nitrous oxide, you remain fully conscious and aware of your surroundings. After coming off of the gas, the effects of it are gone. (If you have respiratory problems or other breathing problems, such as asthma, you should talk with your dentist to see if you are a candidate for nitrous oxide).

22) How does your mouth affect your overall health?
Often taken for granted, the monotonous task of brushing and flossing our teeth daily has never been more important in order to avoid gum disease and the risks gum disease place on our overall health. It has been estimated that 75% of population have some form of gum disease, which has been linked to serious health complications and causes various dental problems that are often avoidable. Such health complications are: heart disease, stroke, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and preterm birth.

23) hat is flouride?
Fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral, is often added to drinking water and is commonly found in toothpaste. Research has shown that the rate of cavities decreases in areas where fluoride is added to the water supply.

24) What exactly IS a cavity?
A cavity is a hole in the tooth that is caused by decay. Decay occurs when plaque, the sticky substance that forms on teeth, combines with the sugars and / or starches of the food we eat. This combination produces acids that attack tooth enamel. The best way to prevent tooth decay is brushing twice a day, flossing daily and going to your regular dental check ups. Eating healthy foods and avoiding snacks and drinks that are high in sugar are also ways to prevent decay.

25) What is Bruxism?
Bruxism is the clenching and / or grinding of your teeth, especially at night. Clenching refers to tightly clamping your top and bottom teeth together. The force of clenching causes stressful pressure on the muscles, tissues and jaw. Jaw disorders, jaw pain, soreness, headaches, earaches, damaged teeth and other problems can result from bruxism. If clenching causes jaw pain, it can disrupt sleeping and eating, lead to other dental problems or create TMJ problems. Your dentist can make a clear night guard for you to sleep in to alleviate the clenching or grinding.

26) Do you refer patients to specialists?
While we are trained and equipped to handle many dental issues in our office, when a specialist would better serve you, we'll refer. Some dental specialists are oral surgeons, periodontists (supporting structures), endodontists (internal tooth problems), orthodontists (for moving teeth), and pedodontists (for children).

27) What is a digital X-ray, and how is it different from traditional X-rays?
When compared to traditional radiography, digital X-rays emit 80-percent less radiation. Detailed images are immediately available for view on a chairside monitor in the operatory. We can transfer digital X-rays and photographs quickly via the Internet to insurance companies and specialists, as well. Digital X-rays require no hazardous developing chemicals, so they're earth friendly! Plus, we can just email/print these X-rays if referring.