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Posts for tag: dental implants
If you are struggling with tooth loss, your dentist may recommend some tooth replacement options to treat the issue. At the top of this list of options are dental implants, which are surgically placed titanium posts that fuse directly to the underlying jawbone for a level of stability that only real tooth roots can rival.
Here at Brooks Cosmetic & Family Dentistry in McDonough, GA, our dentists, Dr. Robert Rooks and Dr. Brent Johnson, can use dental implants to effectively restore your smile’s aesthetic and functionality. If you’re considering getting dental implants, learn their main advantages below.
Healthy Support and Tension
When you have dental implants, you won’t need to be concerned about your jawbone breaking down gradually because the implants will provide the support and tension your jawbone needs to stay healthy.
The Ability to Chew and Eat Normally
Whether you have one dental implant with a crown or an implant supported-bridge or denture, you will be able to consume all the foods you gave up when you lost your teeth.
Help Prevent Wrinkles
One of the most common disadvantages of prolonged teeth loss is the development of premature wrinkles because of the facial skin lacking support. Fortunately, this could be offset by implants since they can offer the stability needed to preserve the bone mass to keep the facial muscles in place and tight.
The Ability to Smile and Speak Confidently
Your pearly whites play a crucial part in your ability to smile and speak confidently. When you have a full set of teeth, you can smile more confidently and speak to people properly without having to hide your missing teeth. You will likewise be able to speak more clearly with all of your teeth, natural or otherwise, in place.
If you’re considering dental implants, your dentist in McDonough, GA, can help you determine whether or not you’re a right candidate for the procedure. In most cases, you should have sufficient bone and healthy gums to effectively support the dental implant. In the event that your jawbone is too soft or thin to hold the implant, your dentist may recommend a bone graft. Likewise, if you don’t have enough height in your upper jaw or if your sinuses are simply too close to your jaw, your dentist may recommend a sinus lift.
Interested in Restoring Your Smile with Dental Implants?
Contact Brooks Cosmetic & Family Dentistry in McDonough, GA, to book your appointment with one of our dentists, Dr. Robert Rooks or Dr. Brent Johnson. Call (678) 583-0330 for further details.
Are you self-conscious about your smile? Has it reached the point where you are purposely suppressing it? Living with tooth loss is never a pleasant situation—if you want a more natural-looking smile and lose the embarrassment, it might be time for you to consider dental implants. Here at Brooks Cosmetic & Family Dentistry in McDonough, GA, our dentists, Dr. Robert Brooks and Dr. Brent Johnson, use implants to restore the function of your teeth and jaw, boost your confidence, and enhance the appearance of your smile.
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are composed of three parts.
- A titanium post that integrates and fuses to your jaw bone.
- An abutment that rises from the gum line.
- A dental crown that is placed atop the abutment
When you visit our McDonough office, we can replace one or multiple teeth with the help of these restorations (this includes the possibility of a full-mouth restoration, as well).
Reasons to Choose Dental Implants
Dental implants work to preserve your natural tooth tissue and help to restore the jawbone structure. They are a permanent tooth restoration solution, and as implant technology and techniques improve, so does their success rate. In fact, with proper care and maintenance, implants can last up to a lifetime!
Results Achieved by Dental Implants
- Stronger speech
- Enhanced comfort
- Increased self-esteem
- Better oral health status
- Easier eating
- Durability
- Convenience
Here at Brooks Cosmetic & Family Dentistry, we provide superior, state-of-the-art treatment in a compassionate environment with affordable solutions. While it is likely that you are a good candidate for dental implants, only an oral examination can decide that.
If you are considering dental implants and would like to speak with one of our dentists to discuss your concerns, schedule a consultation at Brooks Cosmetic & Family Dentistry in McDonough, GA. For questions, please call (678) 583-0330, and to learn more about the services we provide, visit our website.

Even with modern prevention and treatment advances, losing teeth in later life is still a sad but common part of human experience. Just as generations have before, many today rely on dentures to regain their lost dental function and smile.
But although effective, dentures have their weaknesses. The most serious: they can't prevent jawbone deterioration, a common problem associated with tooth loss.
Bone health depends on chewing forces applied to the teeth to stimulate replacement growth for older bone cells. When teeth are gone, so is this stimulation. Dentures can't replicate the stimulus and may even accelerate bone loss because they can irritate the bone under the gums as they rest upon them for support.
But there's a recent advance in denture technology that may help slow or even stop potential bone loss. The advance incorporates implants with dentures to create two hybrid alternatives that may be more secure and healthier for the supporting bone.
The first is known as an overdenture, a removable appliance similar to a traditional denture. But instead of deriving its support from the gums alone, the overdenture attaches to three to four implants (or only two, if on the lower jaw) that have been permanently set into the jawbone. This not only increases stability, but the implants made of bone-friendly titanium attract and foster increased bone growth around them. This can help slow or even stop the cycle of bone loss with missing teeth.
The second type is a fixed denture. In this version, four to six implants are implanted around the jaw arch. The denture is then secured in place to these implants with screws. It's a little more secure than the overdenture, but it's also more expensive and requires good quality bone at the implant sites.
If you've already experienced significant bone loss you may first need bone grafting to build up the implant sites for these options, or choose traditional dentures instead. But if you're a good candidate for an implant-supported denture, you may find it provides better support and less risk of continuing bone loss than traditional dentures.
If you would like more information on implant-supported dental restorations, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Overdentures & Fixed Dentures.”

Considering the costs, many people view replacing a back tooth as less important than a more visible front tooth. They’re rarely seen, so who will notice?
You might, eventually. A missing back tooth can set off a chain reaction of problems that can affect your overall dental health. Besides playing an important role in chewing food, back teeth also redistribute most of the chewing force away from the front teeth. Their absence can also affect the bite: adjacent teeth to the missing one will tend to migrate toward the open space, causing them to tip and rotate into an improper position. This can cause an increase in tooth mobility, excessive wear and erosion, and endanger their survival in the long run.
To avoid these and other problems you should consider some form of replacement. Most dentists prefer a dental implant for its life-like appearance and durability, and because its titanium post has a natural affinity with bone. Bone cells will grow around and permanently adhere to the implant, which may stop and even reverse bone loss in some cases.
Implants, though, require a certain amount of bone structure initially to anchor and position properly. If you have inadequate bone and don’t want to bone graft the area, the next best option is a fixed bridge, in which the missing tooth is replaced with an artificial crown known as a pontic. The pontic is fused between two support crowns that are permanently affixed to the natural teeth on either side of the missing tooth (also known as abutments). While fixed bridges restore function and inhibit tooth migration, they require the natural tooth supporting the bridge to be reduced to accommodate the crowns placed on them. This permanently alters them and places them at higher risk for future nerve damage, gum disease and decay.
One final option is a removable partial denture (RPD). Although RPDs restore function and improve appearance, their movement within the mouth may place additional stress on the teeth that hold them in place. This movement over time could damage or loosen them.
We can discuss which option is best for you after a complete dental exam. The important thing, though, is to replace the back tooth as soon as possible — doing nothing could cost you much more in the long run.
If you would like more information on tooth replacement, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Replacing Back Teeth.”

Dental implant technology has advanced at such an astounding rate in recent years that you can now walk into a dentist's office with a problem tooth and out the same day with a new one. Unfortunately, not all dental situations allow for this possibility.
For example, you might be considering an implant many years after losing a tooth. But there's a potential problem: there might not be enough supporting bone. While an implant might still be possible, inadequate bone complicates the matter.
Because implants are essentially tooth root replacements, they require a certain amount of bone for stability and the best attractive outcome. As a general rule, implants need to be surrounded by at least 1.5-2.0 millimeters of healthy bone to support an implant. But you might not have enough if your tooth has been missing for awhile, regardless if you have or haven't worn dentures or other restorations.
That's because bone has a life cycle in which older cells die and newer ones form to take their place. As we chew or bite, the force generated travels up through the teeth to the bone to stimulate this new growth. Without a tooth the bone doesn't receive this stimulus, which can slow the growth rate. Over time the affected bone can lose its volume and density.
If we find you've experienced loss to the point your bone won't support an implant, that doesn't automatically mean this popular restoration is out of the picture. But it will require us first performing a procedure known as augmentation or bone grafting to help rejuvenate some of the lost bone.
With grafting, we place processed bone grafting material in the jaw through a minor surgical procedure to form a scaffold for new bone to grow upon. After several months this can result in several millimeters of new growth maintaining the width of the underlying bone, which in turn may be able to support an implant.
Bone grafting is quite common, often performed at the same time as tooth extraction if there's going to be a time lag before installing an implant. Even if performed later, though, it can successfully rejuvenate lost bone and make it possible for you to take advantage of durable, life-like implants.
If you would like more information on dental implants, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Dental Implants after Previous Tooth Loss.”