Replace Teeth With Implants

Dr. Lis Bradley, DDS has restored many smiles saved by single-tooth dental implants.  Implants are a permanent restorative option for teeth that are missing or have been extracted.  They look and feel like natural teeth, and are the most permanent and efficient means of replacing lost teeth.

An implant is placed over a series of appointments because of the healing time required.  Implants are titanium screws inserted through an incision in the gum. Over a period of 3-6 months, the jaw bone heals around the implant to become a solid, stable base for the new tooth. During this time a patient is fitted with a temporary crown, and a custom crown is created to match their smile perfectly.

After the jaw bone and gums have healed appropriately, the custom crown is placed in a second minor procedure.  The doctor may need to expose the head of the implant by removing some gum tissue, and the crown is screwed to the top of the implant.  When this is complete the tooth looks like part of the natural smile, and with proper care will last for decades!

To learn more about single-tooth implants and all the services we provide, visit www.lisbradleydds.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Lis Bradley, DDS in Brentwood, TN, call 615-778-0810.

Peri-Implantitis

If you’ve been through the process of getting a dental implant, you definitely don’t want to lose it. At Dr. Lis Bradley’s Brentwood dental office, we’re proud to say that our patients’ experiences with implants have been overwhelmingly positive. But inflammation around an implant, also known as peri-implantitis, can be a major problem, which is why we want to make sure our patients understand it.

In the absence of an autoimmune disorder, gingivitis (gum inflammation) is probably the result of a gum pocket infection. Gum pockets are a great place for decay-causing bacteria to hide. As they feed, they excrete acid, which sticks to plaque and irritates the surrounding tissue. Acid also wears away at a tooth’s root, regardless of whether the root is natural or an implant post. Severe gingivitis, known as periodontal disease, can result in loss of gum and bone tissue, causing the implant to come loose. If an implant is mobile, or twenty percent of the surrounding bone tissue has been lost, it needs to be removed.

Since it can take six months for an implant to integrate with the jaw bone, it would be a shame if the process had to be repeated. Patients should take red, sensitive, or bleeding gums as a sign that they need to schedule a cleaning. If an infection is caught early enough, we can do a scaling to remove decayed material.

Lis Bradley, DDS, operates at 8112 Isabella Ln, Suite 101, Brentwood, Tennessee. To schedule an appointment, visit Lis Bradley or call 615-778-0810.

 

Diabetes and Implants

Patients at Dr. Lis Bradly’s dental practice in Brentwood can count on oral care suited to their unique needs. One of the conditions which causes the most oral health complications is diabetes, and today, we’re looking at how diabetes affects a patient’s candidacy for implants.

Doctors long debated whether people with diabetes should get dental implants. On one hand, diabetes drives periodontal disease and periodontal disease can cause people’s teeth to fall out, creating a need for restorations. On the other hand, diabetes slows the healing of wounds and placement of implants requires incisions to be made in the gum tissue. Implant failure is also associated with gum inflammation, and people with uncontrolled diabetes are prone to chronic inflammation. But after reviewing many scientific studies, the American Dental Association reached the conclusion that diabetes patients with controlled blood sugar do not actually have higher rates of implant failure than the general population. While the longer recovery period and the need for more attention to inflammation and its causes are factors to keep in mind, diabetes does not itself disqualify a person from receiving this life-changing treatment, and the rate of implant failure overall is very low.

Lis Bradley, DDS, operates at 8112 Isabella Ln, Suite 101, Brentwood, Tennessee. To schedule an appointment, visit LisBradleyDDS.com or call 615-778-0810.