Without question over the last two decades dental implants have revolutionized tooth replacement and the practice of dentistry. The concept of dental implants is not new, the earliest recorded attempts of their use were discovered in the Mayan civilization dating back to 600 A.D. Today's highly successful dental implants consist of root replacement for a natural tooth, to which a crown is attached, just like the teeth in your mouth when you smile, there is no visible difference. In addition they do not decay and are relatively free from developing gum disease. As with most treatment modalities in dentistry today, this not only involves scientific discovery, research and understanding, but application in clinical practice. The practice of implant dentistry requires expertise in planning, surgical placement and crown fabrication; it is as much about art and experience as it is about science. It also requires teamwork between you, the patient, and our dental team.
The video shows the assembly necessary to restore an implant with a crown. The assembly consists of an abutment with a screw that fits into the implant and a permanent crown, which is then cemented onto the abutment.
Teeth essentially can be thought of as having two main parts, the crown, the part above the gum tissues, and the root, the part that is suspended in the bone by the periodontal ligament (peri-around, odont-tooth) that keeps the tooth in place. A dental or endosseous implant (endo – inside, osseous – bone) is actually a root replacement, but unlike the root of a tooth it becomes anchored in the bone of the jaw, formerly occupied by a tooth or teeth.
The amazing thing about currently used dental implants is that they actually fuse with, or “integrate” into the bone, a process known as “osseo-integration” (osseo-bone, integrate – to become part of). They are for the most part made of commercially pure titanium, a metallic substance used for many years in medicine and dentistry because it is not rejected by the body, being osteophilic (bone loving). The actual process of osseo-integration is essentially a biochemical fusion of living bone cells and bone substance to an oxide layer that forms on the surface of the titanium.
Call our office today to see if dental implants are right for you. 770-932-1115
No it is not money, or fame. It is going to the dentist according to a research director from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. I agree that this is an unintuitive characteristic and a visit to the dentist will, of course, not fix all of your problems, but places where people have good dental health also tend to be places where they report being generally fulfilled.
“It’s a surrogate for it,” Witters said. “People who take good care of their teeth generally think they have higher well-being lives.”
I am so happy to see this. Proper oral care can keep you smiling well into retirement. Let's face it, regular dentist visits can do more than keep your smile attractive – they can tell a lot about your overall health, including whether or not you may be developing a disease like diabetes.
New research suggests that the health of your mouth mirrors the condition of your body as a whole. For example, when your mouth is healthy, chances are your overall health is good, too. On the other hand, if you have poor oral health, you may have other health problems. Research also shows that good oral health may actually prevent certain diseases from occurring. You are not hearing this for the first time if you have spent any time in my office.
According to the Academy of General Dentistry, there is a relationship between gum (periodontal) disease and health complications such as a stroke and heart disease. Women with gum disease also show higher incidences of pre-term, low birth-weight babies.
Other research shows that more than 90 percent of all systemic diseases (diseases involving many organs or the whole body) have oral manifestations, including swollen gums, mouth ulcers, dry mouth and excessive gum problems. Such diseases include; Diabetes, Leukemia, Oral cancer, Pancreatic cancer, Heart disease and Kidney disease. So be sure to stay on track with your dental office visits!
You can read more about these fulfilled Americans here
By Ashley P. Curington, DMD – North Atlanta Center for Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry, PC on Botox use
A: Botox® is a toxin derived from a bacterium, Clostridium botulinum. The clinical usage is based on its ability to weaken the muscles where it is injected.
A: Botox® has been used for 30 years for treating medical conditions. It started with ophthalmologists in treating strabismus, and then spread to urologists and finally neurologists. In 2013, the Georgia Board of Dentistry began licensing dentists to use this substance. It has become the gold standard for the treatment of chronic migraines and TMJ. It can also be used to treat facial wrinkling for improved cosmetic appearance.
A: Botox is one of the most effective treatments for certain cosmetic conditions. The key is the correct diagnosis, and recruitment of the right patients for treatment. Variations in medication and the duration of effects can be seen based on the site and dosage of injections. The beneficial effect can be seen within a few days of injections, and the effects last anywhere from 10 to 14 weeks. Treatment needs to be repeated every 12 to 16 weeks on average. As with any other treatment modalities, the beneficial effects vary in patients, and their unique medical conditions.
A: Located on both sides of the head at the point where the jawbone meets the skull, the temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) is used during talking, eating, swallowing, and other everyday activities. If this joint becomes displaced or is overworked through excessive teeth grinding, a person may suffer severe tension headaches, as well as sharp pain in the jaw. BOTOX® relieves jaw tension by making muscles unable to engage in the powerful, often unconscious movement of the jaw that produces headaches and pain.
The BOTOX® alternative treatment for TMJ disorders and jaw tension is usually quick, straightforward, and effective. A non-surgical procedure, BOTOX® injections are administered in a doctor’s office and treatment requires no hospital stay. Most patients experience noticeable improvement within one or two days of their first treatment, although relief can take up to a week.
A: A good source for information is the American Academy of Facial Esthetics.
Studies show that nearly 40 percent of Americans skip some dental care and almost 80 percent will feel something wrong in their mouths and ignore it when possible.
In fact, an estimated 150 million American adults avoided a dental visit altogether last year.
A Federal Reserve survey found a quarter of respondents delayed getting dental care for financial reasons. Another recent survey found that nearly two in five American adults say they either delay dental care or have limited dental work done due to their financial situation. That number has increased by nearly 8 percent in the past two years.
About 80 percent of patients are even aware that postponing or delaying routine visits will cost them more money in the long run.
“The longer you wait, the more costly it becomes,” is all too true. As a Dentist, I have heard all sorts of excuses, including “I treat teeth like transmissions, if it works, leave it alone”, and unfortunately, nearly one in five Americans say they would fix problems with their car ahead of taking care of their teeth. That is a strategy that causes lost teeth and costly replacement options.
If you have waited too long to address your dental concerns and you don't win the lottery, you may like to know about the many financing options, including no interest plans, using Care Credit. We offer it in our practice so ask us for more information. Good Luck tonight!
Spring is a time to reevaluate your daily routine and reduce any unnecessary clutter from your life. It is also a time to make positive changes for a happy and healthier lifestyle. Here are a few tips from Dr. Curington:
With these small changes to your lifestyle, you can upgrade your health for a better you.
Sweat equity is the magic formula for growing your business. As a leader, commit to researching the latest technologies and groundbreaking advancements in your field. What you know can and will help you gain a competitive edge. That sounds almost too simplistic, when in reality it’s anything but.
In my world, time and resources are the two competing forces I have to manage to stay in the know. It boils down to where you want to take your business. I’m committed to keeping up with technology to provide my patients the best care available in the dental field. This means I must I stay abreast of the latest techniques, use top of the line equipment and consistently enhance the patient experience. I also think it’s imperative to know every aspect of your business. How can you assess what you need? How else do you know if you’re getting quality?
My field requires annual continuing education and I routinely invest in 10 times the mandated amount. In making learning a priority, I pursue whatever piques my interest – honing my skills as a prosthodontist, a business owner and leader, or learning new procedures and how to deploy advanced technologies in my practice. Because I’m so attuned to what makes my practice tick, I’m able to deploy what’s necessary to consistently provide premium care versus basing my decision how much something will cost. Using the best technologies as part of my care model is a proactive step helping me identify potential issues in their infancy stages rather than waiting until a real problem arises. However, it’s easy to get excited about a new, promising technology. Often the concept is brilliant, but the kinks need to be worked out.
For example, a technology we now use in my practice was one I studied for nearly six years, offering feedback to the manufacturer until the product met my objectives. And during this time, I worked through lunch to the tune of $118,000 in annual savings that I reinvested in the business. Now two years later, this technology’s revolutionary capabilities represent a win-win for my patients.
What are you willing to sacrifice to learn how to gain the competitive edge?
By Dr. Ashley Curington
Dr. Ashley Curington is the founder of North Atlanta Center for Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry, P.C. BufordDentist.com.
The BufordDentist.com website was our original place on the web. When the format became a little dated we staked out some new real estate but many patients in Buford still found us here. We have finally updated this site to a fresh new look. Let us know how you like it.
Thank you to all the readers of Gwinnett Magazine for voting us "Best of Gwinnett Dentist" for 2014. We work hard every day to deliver the finest dental care available.
So as a Buford Dentist, we have refreshed, updated and revamped this url, our original website! Things have changed since we were first on the internet. Seems many patients like to follow our office news via a blog.
What is a blog? Wikipedia says... A blog (a truncation of the expression weblog)[1] is a discussion or informational site published on the World Wide Web and consisting of discrete entries ("posts") typically displayed in reverse chronological order (the most recent post appears first). Until 2009 blogs were usually the work of a single individual[citation needed], occasionally of a small group, and often covered a single subject. More recently "multi-author blogs" (MABs) have developed, with posts written by large numbers of authors and professionally edited. MABs from newspapers, other media outlets, universities, think tanks, advocacy groups and similar institutions account for an increasing quantity of blog traffic. The rise of Twitter and other "microblogging" systems helps integrate MABs and single-author blogs into societal newstreams. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.
