Silver Spring Dentists Explain How to Choose a Dentist

This article explains how to choose a family dentist for a healthy mouth and a beautiful smile.

For a healthy mouth and a beautiful smile, it’s crucially important to brush and floss twice a day and visit your dentist every six months. Your Silver Spring dentist can assess the condition of your teeth and gums, and also recommend treatments for tooth decay or gingivitis if necessary. This will help you avoid potential future problems, like losing a tooth or having a mouthful of painful cavities. The dentists in Silver Spring MD keep records of all past treatments, so it’s important to find a good dentist and stick with that one for as many years as possible. This is why it’s so important to pick the right dentist in the beginning. This article provides some useful tips for seeking out and finding the right dentist for you and your family.

Make a List

If you are moving to a new community, finding the right dentist can be a daunting task - especially if you don’t know many people who you could ask for a personal referral. It can also be challenging to find the right dentist if you are switching to a new dentist from a previous one. Here are some things to consider.

Is the location of the dental office itself an important factor for you? Are you seeking the convenience of finding a dentist whose office is near your home or workplace? Or are you willing to drive out of your way to get to the right dentist?

If you are moving to a new community, you might ask your current dentist if he or she has colleagues in the community where you are moving to that he/she might be able to refer you to. If you have friends or family members living in the community where you are moving, ask them what dentist they use. Conduct online searches using google, ask Facebook friends, and read the reviews of dentists in your community on Yelp.com. This can be a useful starting point. Make a list of two or three different dental offices to go to and check out.

Narrow Your Search

After making your list of potential Silver Spring dentists, visit the locations if possible and take note of what you see and experience. Is the location convenient to an area of town where you frequent? What are the hours and availability of the dentist? What is the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff? What services are offered and what insurances do they accept? Is the dental office easily accessible by car or public transit? Does the dental office offer emergency dental services? Will the dentist office be able to accommodate your whole family? Do you have special requirements, such as the need for dental implants or cosmetic dentistry? Compare your needs with respect to the answers to these questions.

Book a Consultation

Next, determine which dentists on your list meet all or most of your criteria, and find out if he or she is currently accepting new patients. For those who are seeking new patients, find out when their next availability is. Make an appointment and go to “interview” the dentist and find out if you are compatible.

Make the Choice

After meeting with a few different dentists, reflect on your experiences at each office. Which office made you feel most comfortable? Which dentists seemed more compatible with your personality? Which office offers the widest variety of services or the particular specialty services you are seeking? Hopefully by now, you will have a lot of clarity about which dental office is right for you and your family.

Dental Implants in Maryland Can Restore Your Smile and Your Confidence

This article explains what dental implants are and how they can restore your smile and your confidence.

Restore Your Confidence

One cannot underestimate the importance of a confident smile in both social and business situations. Tooth discoloration, missing teeth, or disfigured teeth can significantly detract from your appearance, and block you from achieving success. Decades ago, the only options to unsightly missing teeth were bridges and dentures. Besides the fact that these appliances are difficult to maintain and must be replaced every few years, they can lead to gum disease, bone loss, or embarrassing social situations in which they click, move, or fall out. They can also be uncomfortable to wear.

Dental implants in Maryland, on the other hand, have been around since the 1950’s. Restorative dentistry has grown increasingly more sophisticated in just the past twenty or thirty years, and dental implants are almost always chosen by patients instead of dentures or bridges. One of the many advantages of choosing dental implants over other alternatives is that they preserve the surrounding teeth, gum tissue, and bone tissue, preventing further dental complications. Implants can make a huge difference in the appearance of your smile, whether you only have one tooth to replace, are missing several teeth, or are currently wearing dentures.

Improve Your Lifestyle

Knowing that your teeth are secure can greatly improve your lifestyle in ways you may not have ever imagined would be possible again. Bite into a caramel apple at the fair, play toss with the grandchildren in the swimming pool, smile in family photos again, and never feel the need to hold back a smile or a laugh when spending precious time with family and friends. Restorative dentistry with dental implants in Maryland can restore your confidence in yourself.

Dental Implant 101

Even if you do have some bone loss or gum disease, the dental implantation procedure can still be performed with a high rate of success. You may require a bone graft to address the bone loss and help anchor the titanium implants into your jawbone. If you have been wearing dentures, you may have some bone loss as a natural result of losing your teeth. When you receive implants, you will be protected from further bone loss by going to discuss Silver Spring dental issues.

There are three parts to a dental implant: the titanium peg that is inserted into the jawbone, the abutment which protrudes from the gum-line, and the crown that covers the abutment and is shaped and fitted by a restorative or cosmetic dentist. The titanium implant will promote healthy bone growth and become more secure over time. It will look and feel like a natural tooth. This is such a dramatic improvement over the bridges and dentures of the old days, which don’t look or feel natural.

Fitting for an implant is a technical process that requires a dentist with expertise in restorative dentistry. Your treatment may involve the services of an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Most everyone qualifies as a candidate for a successful implant procedure. If it is safe for you to have a routine dental treatment, it is safe for you to receive an implant. You will also require some X-rays and an impression of your mouth. The insertion of the dental implant itself happens in one visit. Afterwards, you will be able to return to work or go about your usual daily activities the next day.

Maintenance of your dental implants in Maryland only requires regular visits to your dentist every four months, as well as daily brushing and flossing (which you should be doing anyway). There is a 98% probability of a successful implant, and these simple measures help make your implant a success. If you have an osteoporotic jawbone or history of serious illness causing jawbone loss, you would have a greater likelihood of some complication. While dental implants are usually not covered by dental insurance, most patients agree that the investment is well worth it.

A Look At Dental Implants In Maryland Vs. Bridges And Dentures

This article explains the difference between bridges, dentures, and dental implants to help you make the best decision for your smile.

Your Appearance: In this image-focused world we live in, our appearance has a major influence not only on attracting a romantic partner, but also on achieving a successful career, influencing others, and being seen in a positive light by the people around you. We all want to have flawless skin, a toned physique, a flattering hairstyle, and stylish clothes, but the most important physical feature of all is perhaps one’s smile. It’s one of the first things people notice about someone when they first meet them, and stained or missing teeth can ruin a good first impression. It can also destroy your self-confidence. Let’s take a closer look at obtaining dental implants in Maryland.

Do you feel like your smile may be holding you back in your career, your ability to smile and laugh in social situations, or your willingness to smile in family photos? One of the most common physical features people feel unhappy with is their smile. It’s a fact that our teeth can become discolored as well age - especially among coffee and tea drinkers. They can also become discolored because of genetic predispositions, accidents, certain medications, or simply poor brushing and flossing technique. Likewise, adult teeth can loosen and come out with advanced age, injury, chronic illness, or bad hygiene. A great smile can draw other people in and make them want to get to know you, while a bad smile can be off-putting and cause you to lose a potential client or fail to get that promotion on the job.

Benefits of Choosing Dental Implants: Many decades ago, before modern dental technology advancements, when people lost their teeth the only options they had were dentures and bridges. These prostheses can temporarily solve a problem, but maintenance is difficult because you cannot floss properly with bridges. They also increase your chance of having a serious periodontal disease later on. Since bridges aren’t permanent, they don’t protect the gum tissue and bone from become increasingly unhealthier.

These are just a couple of reasons why dental implants in Maryland are much more preferable to bridges. There are very few cases in which dentures or bridges would be preferable to implants. Dental implants are a permanent solution to missing teeth, and they end up being a more economical choice because they do not need to be replaced as often as bridges. Even better, they’re made from inert materials that won’t cause physical harm over time. They will also simply look like your real teeth, so others won’t notice it’s an implant. You won’t have to worry about the appearance of your teeth when speaking, smiling, or laughing, and there will be no clicking when chewing your food.

In general, Dental Implants in Maryland don’t decay, and they tend to also be stain-resistant. Your surrounding teeth won’t require crowns to support them. On the other hand, bridges need to be replaced when adjacent teeth show signs of decay; the crowns and bridges both will need to be replaced. There is none of this hassle with implants.

Cost: When considering cost, you may think that dental implants are more costly than bridges or dentures. They are often not covered by dental insurance plans, and the initial costs can be more. Bridges have a lower upfront cost, but they will only last ten years maximum. You’re making an investment in your appearance, which will lead to opportunities in your life that you perhaps never imagined possible before. Your Silver Spring dentist will be able to explain cost in more detail. Your dental implants will look like your actual teeth and will not need to be replaced. Most people decide that dental implants are the better choice, even financially.

Dental Implants Maryland FAQ

This article series provides an FAQ guide to dental implants: surgically placed prosthetic teeth to restore your smile.

Q. How long have dental implants been used in dentistry?

A. You might be surprised to learn that dental implants actually have been utilized for a couple thousand years. Archaeologists have uncovered Egyptian mummies with gold wired-like implants in their jawbones. Also, pre Columbian skeleton remains have been found with dental implants made of stones that were semi-precious. In Europe, the body of a Roman soldier was found with an iron dental implant in the jaw. Implants made of ivory were revealed in the Middle East unearthed from archaeological sites.

In the United States, modern dentistry began the practice of utilizing dental implants at the start of the 20th century. Many people opted for dentures or bridges until the 1980’s when titanium cylinders started being used in making the implant. Since the invention of the titanium shape, several name brand implants have gained popularity among implant dentists in Maryland.

Q. What aspects contribute to the success of the dental implant?

A. Multiple factors influence the success of the implant after it is inserted into your jaw. Perhaps the most important factor is the health and density of the jawbone itself. A healthy jawbone with good bone density will increase the occurrence of long term victory with the implant. An infected or osteoporotic bone will increase the risk of there being a complication. The second most important factor is, of course, the experience and ability of the dental surgeon. Because the insertion of a dental implant is a surgical procedure, it requires a highly skilled dental surgeon. The third most important factor is the quality of the restoration that is placed on top of the implant. A poorly constructed implant crown or overdenture, or an unbalanced biting force, can ruin any implant even if you have good bone and a good surgeon. Make sure the highest quality materials are used on top of the implant!

Q. What kind of dentist can do implants?

A. There are three types of dentists who can place an implant: periodontists, oral surgeons, and implantologists. Oftentimes, a periodontist and an oral surgeon will form a team with a restorative or cosmetic dentist. The periodontist or the oral surgeon will do the implant surgical procedure, and then send the patient to the restorative or cosmetic dentist for the placement of crowns or an overlying appliance. The course of treatment would then involve two different dentists. An implantologist has training in both dental implant surgery and restorative dentistry in the placement of a dental prosthesis (crown or appliance). In the case of using an implantologist, the course of treatment would only involve one dentist.

Q. What kind of dentist places a crown or overdenture on top of the implant?

A. There are three types of dentists who can reinstate an implant through the placement of a prosthetic crown or an overdenture: a general dentist trained in restorative dentistry, an oral implantologist, or a prosthodontist. If you would rather work with one doctor throughout the entire process, you should choose to work with an implantologist. However, many dental offices may have several types of dentists working together in the same office so using two different doctors can be just as convenient as using only one.

Q. What age person can receive dental implants in Maryland?

A. Senior citizens aren't the only people who get dental implants. Patients of all ages often require dental implants, whether they have lost a tooth to decay, injury, sports accidents, or other reasons that can happen to anybody. There is no age limit for implants.

Q. What factors might make someone a bad candidate for dental implant surgery?

A. There are a few different medical reasons why a person may not be a good candidate for a dental implant procedure. Anyone undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy, anyone with uncontrolled diabetes, those with parathyroid disorders, those with blood disorders such as hemophilia, or individuals with rare bone disorders or bone marrow cancer would not be good candidates for dental implants. Also, if the jawbone is extremely unhealthy or osteoporotic, or if a person has low sinuses or nerve bundles, the patient may have greater success choosing a bridge or denture instead of an implant.

Q. How often do I need to do for check-ups after I get an implant?

A. It is important to properly care for and maintain your implant for long-term success. An implant will require professional cleaning by a hygienist every 3 to 4 months, as well as an examination by your implant dentist. The hygienist should be specifically trained in maintaining dental implants. You will also need to brush and floss daily.

Q. Is the dental implant surgery painful?

A. Absolutely not. Your dentist will utilize a local anesthetic during the surgery, so you should not be able to feel anything during the procedure. After surgery, there may be some minor discomfort for 24 hours which can be controlled with pain medications.

Q. When will I be able to return to work after getting dental implants in Maryland?

A. You will be able to return to work the following work day, unless there is a particular surgical complication. All post-operative instructions will be discussed with you by your dentist.