Dr. Brian Hale's San Antonio Cosmetic Dentistry Blog

Dental implants are considered the best treatment option to replace missing teeth. Unlike fixed bridges that use adjacent teeth as anchors or dentures that rest on the gum line, dental implants are long-term, effective replacements that are surgically placed in the jawbone.

Nearly 70% of adults ages 35 to 44 have lost at least one permanent tooth resulting from:

• An accident
• Gum disease
• A failed root canal
• Tooth decay

By the age of 74, more than 25% of adults have lost all of their permanent teeth. Decades ago, the only choice for these patients would have been a fixed bridge or removable dentures to restore their ability speak clearly, eat and smile with confidence.

But dentures are known to slip or cause embarrassing clicking sounds while eating or talking. Removable dentures can also lead to bone loss in the area where the tooth or teeth are missing.

Because they use your adjacent teeth as anchors, fixed bridges can cause damage to otherwise healthy teeth. For these reasons, removable dentures and fixed bridges often must be replaced every 7 to 15 years. This has left more and more patients and oral surgeons turning to dental implants.

Dental implants are composed of titanium metal that “fuses” with your jawbone through a process called "osseointegration." With this surgical process, dental implants will never:

• Slip or shift
• Make embarrassing noises, indicating you have “false teeth.”
• Decay like teeth-anchoring fixed bridges

If properly cared for, dental implants can last a lifetime.

If you are considering cosmetic dentistry in San Antonio or the surrounding area, please call or e-mail us today to schedule your initial consultation.

Two dental words that bring up feelings of dread and anxiety, but wait I bring good news! What could possibly be good and what do they have in common you might ask?

First let me assure you that the old memories of a ‘metal-mouth’ being the only option with orthodontic treatment are long gone. Today we treat virtually all of our orthodontic cases with the Invisalign system; you know those clear Aligners that you wear for two weeks at a time over the course of several months. Not only will your orthodontic treatment be faster, more comfortable, and invisible compared to traditional braces, but you no longer need to alter what you eat (or even having to avoid your favorite foods altogether!) or have such a difficult maintenance routine; perhaps you remember or have heard the horror stories of floss-threaders, broken wires, cheek wax, and the like!

Okay, so what does having straight, pretty, teeth have to do with TMD? Well, very often TMD and all of its horrible symptoms like pain, clicking, headaches, ringing ears, neck and back pain and the rest, are because of the jaw joint (TMJ) being out of position because the teeth are not in the correct place. You see every part of the body is interconnected. To paraphrase the famous children’s song Dry Bones, the thigh bone really is connected to the knee bone. In some cases, by positioning the teeth and stabilizing the occlusion we can alleviate those horrific TMD symptoms.

So for some patients the connection between orthodontics and TMD is everything; the only way to tell is to have a thorough neuromuscular bite evaluation. You may find that orthodontic treatments will give you more than a beautiful smile but a healthier you!

‘til next entry,

Dr. Hale