Dentures and Dental Implants Seattle

If you have missing teeth, you dont just have to rely on crowns, conventional bridges and dentures. Many people are now choosing dental implants as the best way to restore their smile and solve dental problems. Implants are placed below the gums during a series of appointments. They fuse to the jawbone and provide a base for individual replacement teeth, bridges or a denture. As they are fused to the bone, they offer greater stability. And, because they are integrated into your jaw, your replacement teeth will feel more natural. This secure fit often also makes them more comfortable than other solutions. In order to have implants, you need to have healthy gums and adequate bone to support the implant. To find out whether you could be a candidate for dental implants, talk to your dentist about what they could do for you.

While local anesthetics are often used in dental treatment, there is sometimes a need for anti-anxiety agents – such as nitrous oxide – or sedatives to help people relax during dental visits. Dentists may use these agents to induce “minimal or moderate sedation”. In this case, the patient reaches a relaxed state during treatment but can respond to speech or touch. Sedatives can be administered before, during or after dental procedures by mouth, inhalation or injection. More complex treatments may require drugs that can induce “deep sedation”. This reduces consciousness and causes a loss of feeling which helps to reduce both pain and anxiety. Sometimes patients undergo “general anesthesia” where the drugs lead to a temporary loss of consciousness. A dentist may recommend deep sedation or general anesthesia for certain procedures with children or with adults who have severe anxiety or for people who have difficulty controlling their movements. While these techniques to control pain and a

As people are living longer and enjoying good health for many years, dentists are increasingly offering improved services to recognize the special needs of older adults. This growing segment of the population is wearing fewer dentures and they are keeping their natural teeth longer. They are also concerned to maintain good health and a great smile for many years. However, patients in this group sometimes require special consideration because reduced mobility and dexterity may make daily oral hygiene difficult. And certain medical conditions and impairment may make them more anxious when visiting the dentist. For example, problems with vision or hearing loss may cause worry. Always let the dentist and staff know if you have any concerns so that they can adjust their treatment and their pace to meet your needs. Older patients can sometimes put up with problems such as toothaches, bleeding gums and clicking dentures because they are not aware of the wide range of treatments and techniques

When you put food in your mouth, it immediately meets the bacteria that live there. Plaque, for example, is a sticky film of bacteria. These bacteria love the sugars found in many foods. So, when you don’t clean your teeth after eating, the bacteria and the sugar can combine to produce acids which can destroy the enamel – the hard surface of the tooth. In time, this can lead to tooth decay. The more often you eat and the longer foods are in your mouth, the more damage occurs. Many foods that are nutritious and important in our diet contain sugars – such as fruits, milk, bread, cereals and even vegetables. So the key is not to try and avoid sugar but to think before you eat. When you eat is also important because each time you eat food that contains sugars, the teeth are attacked by acids for 20 minutes or more. This means that foods that are eaten as part of a meal cause less harm. More saliva is released during a meal, helping to wash foods from the mouth and reduce the effects of aci