One-Stop-Shop For Implants May Have Risks

Posted on Apr 14, 2014 by William J. Claiborne, DDS MS

Recently, I’ve been seeing ads for ‘clinics’ promoting dental implants. They make the process sound quick, easy and a good deal. However, as a dental specialist, I understand these ‘quick and cheap’ options come with risks.

When someone offers a ‘package deal’ on something as intricate as dental implant procedures, it can quickly fall short of the good deal it seems. We all want to know that the time and money we invest in anything is a good value. Putting your long-term oral health and well-being in the hands of quickie solutions can have pitfalls.

Your dentist knows your health history, commitment to oral hygiene in the office and at-home regimen. He or she also understands your preferences in appearance and function as well as comfort needs. When working with a periodontist, he or she communicates all history and aspects of your oral health and overall preferences. We then work together as a personalized team on your behalf. This lessens the potential for factors that can contribute to implant complications or eventual failure (resulting in removal).

Since some clinics offer only one particular implant system, performing them in bulk may allow them to give you a better rate. Yet, the type of implant placed may not be the best one for your individual needs; something that can come back to haunt you later.

There are many types of implants designed for specific needs, such as those for people who have lost a lot of jaw bone mass or those who want non-removable teeth. The cost for dental implants is such that ‘having it done right the first time’ is not something to be overlooked.

You deserve to know all the options that are appropriate for your individual needs and goals. Having it ‘done right the first time’ is the best way to achieve a lasting, successful outcome. Call (828) 274-9440 for a consultation.

Men Over 35 Have More Health Risks

Posted on Mar 17, 2014 by William J. Claiborne, DDS MS

An article in the Journal of Periodontology lists nine risk factors for tooth loss due to periodontal (gum) disease, which is the nation’s leading cause of tooth loos.

Risk factors include:
Being over the age of 35
Being a male
Never getting professional dental care
Never using a toothbrush
Smoking
Having diabetes
Having high blood pressure
Having rheumatoid arthritis

Although age and gender are unchangeable, decisions to not brush your teeth or to smoke, for example, are something you can control.

Why should you worry about gum disease? In addition to causing tooth loss, oral bacteria can enter then bloodstream through tears in diseased tissues in the mouth. Once bloodborne, this bacteria can trigger an inflammatory reaction elsewhere in the body.

The bacteria of gum disease has been linked to heart disease, stroke, memory loss, preterm babies, arthritis, diabetes, and even impotency.

If you aren’t concerned about losing teeth, then these additional health risks should get your attention. Treating gum disease before it becomes severe can be done comfortably and affordably. Payment options are available for those without dental insurance.

Gum disease will only worsen without treatment. Call (828) 274-9440 if you have tender, sore gums that are red in color rather than a healthy pink. You need to be seen promptly.

Bargain Rates On Dental Implants Can Cost You More!

Posted on Jan 14, 2014 by William J. Claiborne, DDS MS

I occasionally see “deals” being advertised on dental implants and cringe since I know things the general public doesn’t. While not always the case, some of these low-priced implants are being placed by practitioners who’ve taken weekend courses. These courses are typically sponsored by the manufacturers or distributors of particular implant types.

What is especially concerning about these “cheap” options is knowing how many things can go wrong, causing the patient to lose all the time and money spent on getting a “good deal.” Because the success of an implant depends largely on the proper selection of implant type, the angle it is positioned into the bone and the depth it is placed, the risk of failure (and thus, need for removal) increases greatly.

As a highly-involved part of my additional years of training in the specialty of periodontics (after four years of dental school) was the study on the intricate aspects of dental implants. Understanding how to select the appropriate type for each individual’s need and precision placement aspects give patients an exceptionally high rate of success.

Dental implants are one of the most successful of all implant-in-bone procedures. With proper selection, placement and ongoing hygiene commitment, dental implants have an extremely high potential to last your lifetime. They are designed to integrate with your jaw bone in a way that the bone grows around it, implant and bone becoming as one.

What is often the case when pursuing these “bargain” implants is the low price often covers placement of the implant only (the portion placed in the bone under the gums). The patient then discovers there are additional costs, including fees for sedation, the operatory suite, follow-up visits, necessary extractions, etc. Too, these fees often do not include the the replacement teeth, a rather necessary part of treatment!

Once you consult with a specialist who is skilled in the proper selection and precision placement of all types of dental implants, you’ll find there is a difference. Ask questions, learn all your options and base your decision on what will provide a satisfying, successful outcome.

Saving money feels good when our goal for making the investment achieves our expectations. When we find we’ve wasted our hard-earned dollars, we feel cheated. However, in the long run, the outcome comes back to a decision we willingly made. After all, no one took the money out of our pocket.

You can get the most for your money when it comes to dental implants and enjoy a healthier, more confident life. Call us for a Consultation: (828) 274-9440.

Saving A Tooth Is Worth It!

Posted on Dec 30, 2013 by William J. Claiborne, DDS MS

If you lose your hearing, you can regain some level of hearing through the use of hearing aids. However, nothing will ever work as well as the natural ear structure you once had. Even with the most expensive hearing aid options, adults often complain of echos and background noise interferences.

Like your hearing, your natural teeth are essentially irreplaceable. And, while dental implants are the next best thing to the natural teeth you once had, the majority of those with implants could have avoided needing them in the first place with a concentrated team effort between their general dentist and a dental specialist.

Of course, there are times when a tooth cannot be saved. In instances where a tooth with a fracture breaks off below the gum line, it can no longer support a crown. Had the crown been placed on the tooth prior to the break, it would have likely saved the tooth. For patients who find themselves in this position because they delayed this recommendation or felt a crown was too expensive, their dentist can hardly be faulted.

Additionally, some people don’t keep their 6-month dental exams and cleanings, feeling “if nothing hurts, nothing is wrong.” However, these visits are opportunities to catch problems that are avoidable or easily repaired before problems become more complicated and costly. Delaying these visits only positions you at greater risk for “when” rather than “if” bigger problems will arise.

Too many adult teeth are pulled because the patient feels a crown is too expensive. I believe this occurs when an adult hasn’t been educated as to what lies ahead. For example, when you lose a tooth, studies show the next tooth you’ll lose will be an adjacent tooth. As the trend continues, dentures are an eventual fate. Although dentures seem an easy way to deal with tooth loss, few truly understand the repercussions. Denture wearers typically struggle to chew comfortably and efficiently, take more medications, and die ten years younger than those who kept their natural teeth.

Many general dentists send us patients who have varying stages of gum disease (the nation’s leading cause of adult tooth loss) or for dental implant placement. I see patients from other specialists as well, including orthodontists, oral surgeons, and prosthodontists. The dental professionals who take the time to explain the long-term benefits of saving a tooth, rather than pulling it, are a credit to their profession as well as to their patients.

For patients who don’t want to invest in treatment to achieve healthy teeth and gums, I believe it is because they are unaware as to the years of frustration, discomfort, health risks and ongoing expenses to come. When you save your teeth, you can enjoy the lasting benefits of “the real thing.” Call (828) 274-9440 to learn more.