You may lose a new implant faster than the original tooth if you don’t address the underlying problem in your mouth. Upon receiving an implant, many people think, “problem solved.”
Think again! A relatively unknown cause of gum inflammation that leads to tooth and implant loss is the presence of aggressive microbes that attack immune cells. For real-time video examples of these bacteria, visit our web site: Why isn’t it common knowledge that many diseases start in the mouth?.
The message is simple: get tested for microbial invaders in your mouth before you have an implant placed. At Integrative Dental we have a fast, inexpensive way to assess this so that your teeth and implants can enjoy a long, healthy life.
Root canals are a last ditch effort to save a tooth when it gets infected, and in many cases they are successful. However, sometimes they just don’t work out. If someone is immune compromised, more caution is required because of a possible reaction to the process or the materials used. In addition, the older the root canal is the more chance it has of leaking and of bacteria setting back in around the tooth.
Replacing missing teeth is always a compromise. Removable appliances are practical and relatively inexpensive. However they are usually uncomfortable and often difficult to chew with. Bridges feel and chew like real teeth, but depend on other teeth to support them. If your adjacent teeth have never had dental work, then two perfectly good teeth are being ground down to replace one missing tooth.
Implants are a viable and sometimes ideal solution to missing teeth. They look and feel like real teeth and it isn’t necessary to grind down other teeth to support them. It’s like getting your tooth back. So what is the down side? Well up to now implants have been a very time consuming process, with parts and pieces that have been complicated and expensive. This is no longer true thanks to the improvements in implant technology and design.
Dr. Carey O’Rielly is a holistic dentist in San Diego, California who truly understands and practices the tenets of holistic health, both as a practitioner and in his personal life. His remarkable knowledge of the field came about through years of study and experience, initiated by his own work-related health challenges.