Seattle Cosmetic Dentist

Long lasting and durable artificial tooth replacements are dental implants. They are used to counter tooth loss. They are functional yet effective, restoring important tooth function, such as eating or speaking clearly. Dental implants are stronger than other procedures to restore tooth loss, like bridges ore dentures. However, it is a specialist, like your Seattle Cosmetic Dentist or an oral surgeon, that performs the procedure – and not your neighborhood dentist.

Dental implants have three parts to them. The first part is the post. It is typically made out of titanium metal and looks like a screw. This part is fused with the jaw bone. The second part of the implant is the abutment, which is set onto the part of the post that will stick out of the gum. The third and final part is the crown, which is placed onto the abutment and looks like a real tooth.

The procedure is performed in several stages, spanning a couple of months. First, the oral surgeon creates a small hole into the gum. Once this hole is the right depth, it is widened to accommodate the post. The post is then inserted into the hole and fused together with the jaw line. A protective covering is placed over the post and it is left to heal that way for several months. After the healing period has taken place, a temporary crown is inserted. The temporary crown allows the gums to heal from the procedure and to adjust to the crown. After a couple of months, the temporary crown is replaced with a permanent one.

The success rate for dental implants is very high. In fact, dental implants on the lower jaw have a success rate of 95%, while implants on the upper jaw have a success rate of 90%. However, there are a couple of things that do cause the dental implants to fail. The most common being that there was a mistake made in the initial implantation procedure – perhaps the post was not position correctly. Dental implants may also become infected, or may even break, and crowns can come loose. Smoking is very damaging to dental implants, and most smokers are advised to quit before receiving the implants because of this fact.

Dental implants are good choice for people looking to counter tooth loss, whether to restore essential tooth function like eating and speaking clearly, or just out of embarrassment for missing teeth. They have an overall success rate of 90%, and they will not accidentally fall out of your mouth like dentures can. They are safe, effective, and best of all, they look like real teeth.

Dental veneers are made out of a ceramic material that can fit over and cover the surface of a tooth. Veneers are often used for people who have teeth that are cracked or chipped, have worn enamel, or an uneven alignment. They can fix anything on teeth that may be aesthetically unappealing. They create a bright smile that is perfectly aligned.

Veneers are made out of two types of material: either porcelain or composite resin. Both types can be created in a dental laboratory by a dental technician, but only composite veneers can also be created at your dentist’s office. The veneers created at the lab, however, will have to be bonded to the teeth with resin cement. Porcelain veneers do tend to be more expensive than composite resin veneers, but for good reason: they reflect the light like natural teeth, they resist stains better, and they last longer.

The procedure for getting dental veneers may take several weeks. During the first part of the procedure, the dentist removes about ½ millimeter of enamel for the tooth or teeth that will be getting the veneer. The dentist than makes a mold of the tooth and that mold is sent to a dental lab where a dental technician will create a custom made veneer based on that mold. It may take up to two weeks for the Seattle Cosmetic Dentist to receive that veneer back from the lab. The next step of the procedure involves the dentist temporarily placing the veneer onto the tooth to check its fit and its color. The dentist may repeatedly remove the veneer to trim it so that it looks perfect on the tooth. Once that has been achieved, the real tooth is polished, cleaned, and etched. Resin cement is placed inside the veneer, and the veneer then goes onto the tooth. Once properly placed, the dentist uses a special light to activate the chemicals in the resin cement, making it harden quickly.

Dental veneers have many advantages. They look natural, and they make a smile looks beautifully white and perfectly straight. They are also stain resistant, so they will stay beautifully white for a long time. However, they only last for about five years. After those five years are up, they might need replacing.