Tooth loss, whether it be one tooth or many, can drastically affect one’s appearance in a negative way. Whether the loss was a result of poor maintenance, disease, or trauma, the go-to solution to consider is dental implants.
At some point in our life, we will experience some form of dental degeneration that can include cavities, infection, and tooth loss. Tooth loss is almost unavoidable, whether it’s only one tooth or several teeth. Even healthy individuals due to our modern lifestyle, genetics, or unforeseen circumstances will experience edentulism.
By the time the average American reaches their 30’s, they will have already lost five permanent teeth. In general, the older the person, the more likely that they have experienced losing some teeth.
Losing teeth can be natural, but it can also be compounded by many factors including smoking, poor diet, poverty, disease, poor hygiene, accidents, and trauma. For most, tooth loss is inevitable.
David came to ArtLab Dentistry in desperate need of a dental rehabilitation. Both jaws received Al-On-Four® dental implants. They were treated with acrylic resin teeth supported by titanium frameworks. We were able to find a medical, dental and financially affordable solution to satisfy all of David’s needs.
Dental implants are, simply, artificial teeth that look and function as good or better than your best permanent teeth. Dental implants are surgically implanted into a patient’s mouth to replace teeth that are either missing or are too damaged to sustain further use.
Dental implants themselves typically consist of titanium, stainless steel, or zirconia endosteal posts which are embedded in a patient’s jaw bone, or in the case of subperiosteal implants, just above the bone and below the gum tissues.
When it comes to information about dental implants, it can be quite confusing. If you searched “dental implants” on Google, you would find over 22,000,000 results!
Dental implant procedures can include anything from conventional, individual endosteal implantation procedures to more complex and specialized reconstructive surgeries involving implant-supported bridges, such as the popular All-On-Four® dental implants.
For the sake of simplicity, and to better educate you, dental implants can be separated into two broad categories: conventional individual implants and All-On-Four® dental implants. These are two broad, over-arching categories that can then be further differentiated by the quality of materials and other diverging specifics.
Conventional individual implants are the gold standard when it comes to replacing lost teeth and treating edentulism. They consist of titanium, stainless steel, or zirconia post, an abutment or attachment surface for a crown, and the artificial tooth itself. Conventional dental implants are conceptually quite simple.
Missing teeth are replaced with artificial teeth that look and feel like real permanent teeth. The artificial teeth are selected by the patient and his prosthodontist and then designed and fabricated for a perfect fit. For each missing tooth, an implant is required.
For patients suffering from total tooth loss, that means an average of 32 teeth for the typical adult will be necessary. As you can imagine, the sheer number of implants required for patients suffering from massive tooth loss can be quite cumbersome for both the patient who must undergo extensive reconstructive surgery and for the oral surgeon and prosthodontist who must perform each individual implantation for every single missing tooth. This can quickly escalate in both costs and recovery times and why many patients opt for a much cost and time efficient option called the All-On-Four® dental implant, which we’ll cover in a moment.
While endosteal implants are more common and are embedded and osseointegrated into a patient’s jaw, subperiosteal implants are also an available option for patients lacking adequate jawbone structures and for those who are unable to or do not wish to receive bone grafting treatments. Unlike endosteal conventional implants, periosteal implants are supported by a specialized metal frame placed above the jaw bone but below the gum tissues.
“Dr. Reshad is an amazing prosthodontist who has true talent in making beautiful teeth. Being a dentist myself I was amazed by the quality of dentistry he performs with so much attention to detail and by the extremely caring chair side manner he has with his patients. I was fortunate to observe him and learn a lot of good dentistry techniques from him as well. If anybody in California is looking for a dentist who is genuine, does exceptionally beautiful work and is highly proficient in all phases of cosmetic, implant and reconstructive dentistry, please take the time to know more about him and schedule a consultation, even if you have to travel some distance, because in the end, it is all worth it.”
Not all dentists are dental implant specialists. Consumers should be aware that while dental implant procedures and services are commonplace in the industry, actual dental implant specialists with the proper training, experience, and history of successful implantations are exceedingly few.
Many dentists offer dental implant procedures and related surgeries. But there are only a few who can boast high success rates. Selecting the right dental professional to conduct the procedure is key. Choosing the right implant specialist with the best credentials and success rates is no easy task, however.
So how should you go about finding the right Prosthodontist? The first place to start is to look at credentials. While many dentists and dental practices claim to offer dental implant therapies, not all dentists have the additional training and certifications that qualify them to perform such complex operations. Not all dental clinics have the right staff trained and experienced in the art of fabricating, fitting, placing, and ensuring the success of an implant procedure. Look for dental professionals with specialist credentials geared towards implant procedures.
In the case of dental implants, you will want to hire a Prosthodontist and team with the requisite and expertise. You want a true specialist, not a general dentist who does implants only occasionally.
Prosthodontists are dentists who have chosen to undergo an additional three years of specialized training at an accredited school in addition to a traditional four-year (DDS) dental degree. A Prosthodontist is trained to specialize in the removal and replacement of teeth making them particularly suited for conducting implant procedures. They also have extensive training in complex care management and aesthetics which by far exceeds the training a general dentist receives.
A prosthodontist is part of an elite group of dental specialists. All counted, there are only approximately 750 trained, licensed, and practicing prosthodontists in the entire nation. Dr. Mamaly Reshad of ArtLab Dentistry is one of them. Dr. Reshad is also regarded as one of the finest renowned prosthodontists in the world.
If you want the best dental care and results for a dental implant procedure, you should consult with Dr. Reshad. Check out what hundreds of patients have said about Dr. Reshad and ArtLab Dentistry. Ultimately, getting a full set of healthy, functioning teeth is an investment in yourself for your long-term health, appearance, and well-being.
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