Chicago Dental Advice: Are You Wrecking Your Teeth? PART 1

This two-part article series explores 10 habits that could be doing irreversible damage to your teeth and could lead to tooth loss in the long-term.

We all know that the cornerstones of keeping your teeth beautiful and healthy teeth for life are good oral hygiene and regular professional attention from your dentist and oral hygienist. But, in addition to these fundamental points, there are several habits and behaviors we should be doing our utmost to avoid. In most cases, people are just unaware of the consequences of something as seemingly innocent as chewing on ice on a hot day. It’s only when we face these consequences do we wish that we knew better, or had tried harder.

In order to find out what innocent habits the average citizen has that may later lead to tooth loss, we spoke to a Chicago implant dentist. In this two-part article series, we present Chicago dental advices given to us. Are you wrecking your teeth? Let’s find out!

Chicago Dental Advice # 1: Stop Chewing Ice

Dental enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, but it wasn’t design to cut through ice! Chewing ice is terrible for your teeth. It can cause chips, cracks, fractures and other flaws on the chewing surfaces of the teeth. In certain circumstances, these imperfections can provide bacteria with an easy route into the pulp chamber of the teeth. If this happens, you could require a root canal or - worst-case scenario - the tooth will have to go!

Chicago Dental Advice # 2: Drink Water. Not Juice, Soda and Energy Drinks.

There are thirsty times when nothing will do the trick quite like an ice-cold Coca-Cola or sports energy drink. What you mustn’t get into the habit of doing is quenching your thirst on a regular basis with beverages that are high in sugar and acid. If you’re thirsty, drink water. Anything else should be viewed as a treat and drank in moderation. Remember, sugar encourages bacterial activity, while acid softens the dental enamel. This combination renders your pearly whites incredibly vulnerable to cavities and decay!

Chicago Dental Advice # 3: Don’t Drink Filtered Water

The water you drink is one of the most important sources of Fluoride: a mineral that is essential to good oral health. Tap water is fluoridated and mineral or spring water naturally contains this essential mineral. But filtered water doesn’t contain any fluoride, which denies your teeth the exposure they need to remain strong and healthy. Make the right choice and reap the rewards.

Chicago Dental Advice # 4: Playing Contact Sports Without a Mouth Guard

If you play contact sports, chances are you’re accustomed to receiving a good thumping now and then, whether it’s a head crashing into your stomach or a fist flying into your shoulder. A bruise heals. Cracked, broken and chipped teeth don’t. Make sure you wear a mouth guard if anything you share the field with has the potential to do serious damage to your face and mouth. This is not a lesson you want to learn the hard way!

Chicago Dental Advice # 5: Not Flossing Daily

Brushing cleans the outer surface of the teeth, but what are you doing to get between your pearly whites? A good home oral hygiene routine requires daily brushing AND flossing. If you don’t floss, you are leaving all that bacteria and food debris to just sit there. And if you don’t believe you have anything between your teeth after a meal, then floss and take a look. You’ll be shocked... hopefully into action!

Stay Tuned

To read more valuable advice from implant dentist in Chicago on how to keep your teeth in excellent lifelong condition, stay tuned for the second installment of this two-part article series.

Why Consider Chicago Dental Implants?

This article explores the various benefits and advantages offered by dental implants as a solution to single and multiple missing teeth.

Anyone with one or more missing teeth can easily understand how tooth loss can make you feel self-conscious about eating or smiling in public. You tend to avoid such social embarrassments by hiding your smile or not smiling at all. In some extreme cases, people shy away from social situations entirely. This is just not a sustainable solution and it can have a tremendous impact upon your normal daily life.

Low self-esteem is just one of many problems caused by missing teeth: poor bite function, diet compromise, bad nutrition and an increased risk of infection and further tooth loss. But did you know that, apart from these serious concerns, tooth loss might also lead to bone loss? This is why it’s so important for Chicago residents to replace missing teeth with Chicago dental implants.

Chicago Dental Implants: Advancements in Implant Dentistry

Whether you are missing a single tooth or every single one of your original adult teeth, innovations in dental implantology and fixed oral rehabilitation can give you new teeth again, thus restoring your appearance, proper nutrition, articulation in speech, overall oral health, comfort and self-confidence. The benefits of opting for a sophisticated teeth replacement solution extend far beyond the immediately evident, but have long-term ramifications for your oral health and overall quality of life.

With the development of innovative dental implant techniques, medical technology and hardware; Chicago patients are able to enjoy more aesthetic and functional benefits from their new teeth. Moreover, these can be achieved in an unprecedented time of as little as a single day, with a single procedure. So, not only is the science behind dental implantology getting more sophisticated, it’s getting cheaper too!

Comparing a Patient’s Teeth Replacement Options:

Leaving missing teeth without replacement

• Unattractive smile
• Inability to eat properly
• Inability to speak properly
• Faster jawbone loss

Traditional crown and dental bridge

• Requires two healthy teeth to be sacrificed
• Does not promote a healthy jawbone
• Higher risk of decay affecting the neighboring teeth
• Uncomfortable tooth replacement solution

Dental implants and crown

• Restores chewing ability
• Restores smile and self-confidence
• Does not damage neighboring teeth
• Promotes a healthy jawbone, preventing bone loss
• Looks and feels natural

Understanding Bone Loss...

When you lose a tooth, the jawbone under it starts to shrink, eventually becoming brittle due to lack of stimulation or “exercise”. Hence, losing a tooth not only restricts your diet and affects your smile; it also becomes the cause of change in the shape of your face, making a patient look prematurely aged. It is for this reason that experts in the placement of dental implants in Chicago always recommend this treatment over and above conventional approaches to teeth replacement. Dental implants stimulate the jawbone like natural teeth do, which keeps it alive and healthy.

Chicago Dental Implants: A Final Note

Dental implants are the closest thing modern Chicago implant dentists can offer patients who have lost one or more of their original adult teeth. They look, function and feel very similar to natural teeth. But, having said this, they cannot rival the strength and longevity of your own biological technology. For this reason, implant dentists always urge Chicago residents to look after their natural teeth. Remember, prevention is better than cure!

Same Day Dental Implants

This article explains what the “All-on-4” dental implant protocol is and its many benefits and advantages over traditional removable dentures.

Go ahead. Make your day!

It might be easier than you ever imagined. If you are missing several or all of your teeth, or are tired of poorly fitting, unsightly and painful removable partial or full dentures, you could get a brand new set of teeth placed with dental implants in as little as a single day! This popular, hassle-free procedure can put a smile back on your face in just one visit to a Chicago implant dentist.

“All-on-4” Same Day Dental Implants

It's true. There really isn't any need to agonize for months over the lengthy and costly procedures typically required for traditional replacement work. Improved diagnostic capabilities and modifications in dental surgical protocols can give patients a brand new set of fixed (non-removable), immediately functional and great-looking teeth in just one day, with a single procedure.

Dental implants have been around for over 50 years, but it was only in the early 1990’s that the “breakthrough” protocol, the “All-on-4”, was developed by Dr. Paulo Malo: world-famous European implantologist. Considering the immense benefits and advantages of implants over traditional teeth replacement approaches, such as removable dentures, it's no wonder they are recommended by implant dentists in Chicago. Dental implants can get to the root of your problems by replacing the entire missing tooth. while preserving the health of the underlying jawbone.

Just Sit Back and Open Wide

During an appointment with an implant dentist, your case will be thoroughly evaluated and treatment options recommended. Most people can be considered candidates for same-day dental implants even when extractions of decayed teeth are required.

For patients who have lost most, if not all of their original adult teeth, the "All-on-4" technique is typically the best treatment option, because it almost always avoids the need for bone grafting surgery first, making it possible for patients to get new, immediately functional teeth in a single day, with a single procedure and at a much reduced cost.

Immediate Results

The "All-on-4" involves the use of only four titanium screws (dental implants) per jaw. These are strategically inserted in locations and at angles so as to make the best possible use of the existing healthy bone volume in the jaw. Because this procedure does not typically require bone grafting, patients are likely to enjoy the advantages of fixed teeth right away.

Gone will be the days of removing partial or full dentures after meals for cleaning and at nighttime. The "All-on-4" bridge is cared for similarly to natural teeth, with regular brushing and flossing.

Same Day Dental Implants: A Lifetime Investment

Same day dental implants - with proper oral hygiene - can last a lifetime with minimal, if any, restoration. This makes them the most cost-effective teeth replacement option on the market. Furthermore, owing to the smart design of the technique, the need for fewer implants and only one surgery, patients won’t have to dig deep into their pockets to afford the treatment. Most Periodontists and your Chicago implant dentist will offer financing options for patients in any case.

Imagine a life without dentures and all the challenges that go hand-in-hand with them. Imagine oral comfort, restored speech and much improved dental hygiene. Imagine seeing a bright and beautiful smile each time you look in the mirror; a life filled with self-confidence and self-esteem. Don’t imagine it... LIVE it with “All-on-4” same day dental implants.

Missing Teeth? Time to Visit the Implant Dentist in Chicago!

This article discusses the tooth replacement solutions available for people who have lost one or more teeth, with a special focus on dental implants.

Sometimes you just know its best to keep your mouth shut. After all, no one else needs to know your little secret. There's no reason to let anyone know you are missing teeth. There is someone, though, you should and can open up to. That would be the Chicago implant dentist: the dental healthcare professional that will examine your particular case and make recommendations for treatment that will put the smile back on your face.

If Something's Missing in Life...

In most cases, the preferred choice of implant dentists in Chicago when it comes to replacing missing teeth is dental implants. These highly qualified and experienced professionals can replace missing teeth when bridges and partial dentures just won't work, or fall short of providing patients with the sophisticated, comprehensive and long-term solutions they desire.

Tooth loss is most commonly the result of periodontal (gum) disease: an advanced oral bacterial infection of the soft tissues surrounding the teeth and the underlying bone. It is especially important for Chicago residents to seek immediate attention from their dentist or periodontist if they are experiencing symptoms of this terrible oral affliction. Once gum disease sets in, bacteria damage the connective tissue and bone in the mouth, sometimes causing both to recede to expose the darker and more vulnerable roots of the teeth. Left untreated, gum disease causes tooth loss.

Signs and Symptoms of Gum Disease

• Your gums bleed when brushed or flossed,
• Your gums are sensitive and inflamed (red),
• Your gums have swollen and encroached upon your teeth, giving you a “gummy” smile,
• You have chronic bad breath,
• Your teeth are loose or appear to have moved,
• Your teeth look discolored and have white deposits on and between them,
• Your teeth and gum margins have brown mottling on them,
• Your gums ooze pus when pushed,
• You have lost one or more teeth to decay.

If any of these symptoms sound familiar, then you may be at risk of tooth loss if you haven’t already lost teeth.

About Dental Implants

Dental implants are artificial teeth made of titanium metal. They are placed into your jaw at the site/s of the missing tooth or teeth. Because titanium is totally biocompatible, the jaw readily accepts the dental implant and the bone cells will actually bond to its surface in a process called ‘osseointegration’. This provides a strong foundation for a restoration, such as a dental crown (in the case of single missing teeth) or a customized fixed prosthesis (in the case of multiple adjacent missing teeth).

Dental implants can be placed in patients of all ages, as long as the jawbone is fully developed and as long as the patient is in good health and doesn’t present with any complicated illnesses that might render surgery dangerous. Dental implants will go a long way to improve self-esteem and restore one’s ability to eat, smile and speak with confidence. They can also last several decades if cared for properly. Additionally, newer technologies have actually lowered the cost of dental implant procedures: making them quicker, more efficient and more affordable.