Maximize Smiles with Mini Implants
Replacing missing teeth has never been easier
Missing teeth are cute…in little kids. Most adults, however, feel extremely self-conscious about a gap in their smile. Embarrassment is only the beginning of the problems missing teeth can cause.
When you loose a tooth, your jawbone slowly loses strength and firmness, causing bone loss and changes in facial features. The loss of even one tooth can cause uneven chewing and an unstable bite. Because remaining teeth can shift, proper cleaning becomes more difficult and the misaligned bite can contribute to headaches.
TOTB spoke with the experts at the McCarl Dental Group in Millersville to learn what solutions exist.
Solutions
“Dental implants are the modern day solution to missing teeth,” says Dr. Clayton McCarl of the procedure quickly surpassing traditional dentures and bridges. Dental implants have become as safe and reliable as artificial hips and vision correction surgery.
“A dental implant restored with a crown looks, feels and functions like a natural tooth,” says Clayton. Implants, effective for single and multiple tooth restoration, replace the root of the tooth with a biocompatible titanium alloy and are placed in the jaw where they fuse to the bone.
“In some cases, a temporary crown can be placed on the tooth immediately and later replaced with a permanent crown,” says Dr. Jay McCarl. Implants can last a lifetime because they don’t decay. It is, however, still important to brush and floss dental implants twice daily, just as you would natural teeth to keep your gums healthy around the implant. Dental implants are the best restoration solution in cases where neighboring teeth are healthy and properly aligned. Unlike a dental bridge or partial denture, a dental implant can prevent bone loss at the site of the missing tooth.
“Two lower molar implants strengthened my jaw bone, consequently improving my bite and virtually eliminating my TMJ issues,” says Carolyn Lynch, who had traditional dental implants restored with porcelain crowns. “I also benefited aesthetically with improved facial symmetry.” (Temporomandibular (TMJ) disorder can cause jaw and facial tenderness or pain, headaches, clicking and popping of the jaw, difficulty chewing and opening/closing the mouth.)
“The thing that bothered me most about my removable partial was that food would get trapped under the metal framework,” says Eugene Stratchko who lived with a partial-plate for more than 40 years. Now with a mini dental implant supporting a crown, Stratchko is able to bite into apples and eat corn on the cob for the first time in decades. Stratchko says, “I don’t even know it is there!”
Mini dental implants are popular not only because of their immediate use but also because they are less invasive, less expensive, and heal faster than traditional implants which need four to six months.
“Minimally invasive dental implants patients can enjoy a light meal an hour or so after the mini implant is placed,” says Jay.
Who’s a Good Candidate?
With the recent advances in dental implants, more patients are candidates for permanent tooth replacement. Some people do not have enough bone in their jaws for the larger, traditional implants; however, most people have sufficient bone mass for mini dental implants. The most common use of mini dental implants is stabilization of dentures.
“The bottom line for many dental implant patients is that for the first time since they have had dentures, they can actually talk and chew without being afraid that their dentures will fall out or shift causing sores in their mouths,” says Dr. David McCarl. “Patients are able to remove and replace the denture easily so that they can clean their gums and dentures daily.”
For more information on tooth replacement options or The McCarl Dental Group, visit www.McCarlDental.com or go to www.Facebook.com/McCarlDental.
Millersville office: 410.987.8800, Shipley’s Choice Medical Park, 8601 Veterans Highway, Ste. 101. Greenbelt office: 301.474.4144.
The McCarl dentists are certified in all aspects of traditional and minimally invasive dental implants.
They offer comprehensive dentistry featuring no-preparation and traditional porcelain veneers, porcelain
crowns and bridges, Invisalign orthodontics, composite fillings, teeth whitening, dental hygiene and
periodontal treatment. The McCarl dentists were named Top Dentists by Dental Specialists in the AA
County Dental Association and nationally by the Consumers Research Council of America, as well as
Best Dentists by a local Reader’s Choice poll.
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