Will Missing Teeth Affect How Old I Look?
The presence of teeth affects not only your smile, but the shape of your jaw and face, meaning dental implants help your entire appearance look younger over time. Without teeth, lips become thinner and “disappear”, and a smile that shows little to no teeth makes a person look old. A 30 year old at rest shows about 3 millimeters of teeth, and a big smile shows all of the tooth up to the gum. When you get all-on-4 dental implants, we’re able to do instant facial cosmetics that bring out the lips, can take away some wrinkles around the mouth, and restore the shape of the face back to a more youthful look. Call 301-258-1998 to schedule a free consultation with us and learn more.
Can I Get Dental Implants if I Have Bone Loss?
Yes you can. Newer bone grafting materials and techniques let us successfully place dental implants in areas that even five years ago seemed impossible. A dental CB/CT X-ray machine allows us to 3-dimensionally view the exact topography of the bone. Special guided templates allows us to place implants within .4mm of a preplanned spot. This means we can safely place your dental implant, regardless of bone loss. Click here to schedule a free consultation today.
Am I the Right Age for Dental Implants?
At Gordon Center for General & Advanced Dentistry the oldest patient we have restored implants on was 87 years old. He is now almost 93 years old. Regarding younger patients, female facial bones actively grow until about 21 years old and males’ until about 23 years. Before placing implants in younger patients we take special low dose X-ray shots 6 months apart and overlay the images to see that the patient has stopped actively growing. This is most important in patients who were congenitally missing front teeth, or were wearing temporary front teeth after getting out of braces, and are looking forward to the final more permanent teeth so they can eat whatever they want and not worry about breakage or temporaries coming loose. To learn more about dental implants click here or call 301-258-1998 to schedule a free consultation today.
Do I Need to Floss When I Brush My Teeth?
Flossing removes plaque and food from areas where your toothbrush doesn’t reach. Rinsing with a mouthwash can help loosen particles, but there’s no substitute for the manual removal that floss provides. It’s important to know that any remaining plaque not removed after brushing will turn to tartar (a rough, hard surface), which can only be removed by your dental hygienist. Flossing keeps your gums healthy and tartar levels down, which makes your routine dental cleanings much more comfortable and helps with the prevention of gum disease. Learn more about dental cleanings and schedule your appointment here.
What’s the Success Rate of Dental Implants at Gordon Center?
The most advanced restoration techniques available allow us to have a success rate of more than 98%. This rate can only be achieved by giving the utmost attention to each implant that a crown is put on every time. We don’t just “put a crown on an implant”. We pay attention to the shape and quality of the gum around it, to the proper bite and contour of surrounding teeth and appropriate color and size so that it feels natural in your mouth. We carefully select the skilled surgeon to extract the teeth and place the implants, while we only concentrate on the crown on top. This way you get the very best skilled dentist to do each part that they do best. “One stop shopping” may work in retail, but dentists can’t be the best in all aspects. That’s why our success rate is greater than 98%. If you’re interested in this topic because you received a dental implant or all-on-4 procedure somewhere else and the crown is chipped, worn, or broken, you can learn more about how we restore dental implant crowns. Call 301-258-1998 or click to schedule an appointment and learn more about how we restore dental implants.
What Should I Do if I Haven’t Been to the Dentist in a Really Long Time?
Sometimes the hardest step is making the first call! Doing your research ahead of time will help you feel more comfortable. Ask friends for referrals, and choose an office with great patient reviews and a warm, welcoming staff. Often people choose a dentist based who accepts their insurance, but if you haven’t been to a dentist in a really long time it’s in your best interest to choose an expert office that won’t try to oversell you. Forging a long-lasting relationship with the right dental office will help you avoid unnecessary dental work. Call 301-258-1998 or click here to schedule an appointment.
Am I Healthy Enough for Dental Implants?
Patients with uncontrolled diabetes, undergoing Chemotherapy for Cancer, or actively taking some IV drugs for Osteoporosis are not ideal candidates for dental implants. However, smoking, controlled diabetes, osteoporosis, or previous cancer treatments do not rule out successful placement or restoration of dental implants. A complete medical history, sometimes in consultation with your general physician, will allow us to ensure your health and safety while focusing on the longevity of a well-placed implant. Call 301-258-1998 or schedule an appointment to learn more.
How Do I Know if My Headaches Could be Caused by My TMJ?
There are two quick, easy ways to know if your headaches are caused by muscle pain around the TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint): The first way to tell is if many mornings you wake up with a headache. This indicates that you are clenching or grinding your teeth during the night and putting destructive stress on the joint. Often, an uncomplicated bite guard—to be worn during sleeping—can greatly reduce or completely eliminate the headaches. Once the headaches are much better, other tests should be done to determine the exact reason the grinding is causing the headaches. The second way to tell is if you have been diagnosed with migraine headaches or many physicians can not find an exact cause of your headaches and you have had MRIs, migraine medication, acupuncture, or other pain relieving therapies (excluding opioids), but nothing reliably gets rid of the headache. In this case, the headache pain is most likely caused by the TMJ in front of the ear and affecting muscles of the head. The dentists at Gordon Center for General & Advanced Dentistry know the most up-to-date TMJ treatments and can help you feel better quickly. We also refer to the top experts if a case is extremely advanced. Click here or call 301-258-1998 to schedule your appointment now.
Can I Put My Baby to Sleep With a Bottle?
As far as dental hygiene is concerned, this a habit that you would ideally avoid. Unlike when you give a child a bottle during the day and they digest it before sleeping, if you put a child to bed with milk or juice—especially an older child who does not need it for sustenance but has just grown accustomed to it—the sugars in that drink will sit on their teeth all night and can cause cavities. If it makes you feel any better, we have to give adults who go to sleep with cough drops the same news. When you go to sleep, you want to avoid any sugars coating your teeth all night long.
What Should I Do if a Dentist Who Takes My Insurance Recommends a Procedure That I’m Not Sure I Need?
Bring your X-rays to Gordon Center for General & Advanced Dentistry for a free second opinion consultation. Few dental decisions on treatment need to be acted on immediately. Dr.’s Leonard and David Gordon will give you information that will allow you to make the decision that is best for you. We are able to provide an expert and impartial diagnosis, because of our unique vantage point: (1) Dr. Leonard Gordon and Dr. David Gordon have nearly 50 years of combined dental experience, so they’ve likely seen a case—or several—like yours before. (2) Because the Doctors Gordon do not participate with insurance, we are not under the same pressure to produce a certain amount of work, and therefore only recommend necessary treatments. Click here to schedule an appointment.