Dental Implants in Canmore
If you are looking for dental implants in Canmore, contact Canmore Smiles, the practice of Dr. Grant Moldenhauer and Dr. Brian Piercy. Dental implants are a great way to replace missing teeth and also provide a fixed solution to having removable partial or complete dentures. These are artificial roots and teeth (usually titanium) that are surgically placed into the upper or lower jaw bone by a dentist or periodontist. The teeth attached to implants are natural looking and often enhance or restore a patient’s smile! Also implants are durable and will last many years, but on occasion, they will have to be re-tightened or replaced due to normal wear. Contact us for more information.
Reasons for Dental Implants
Implants are used for the following reasons:
Replace one or more missing teeth without affecting adjacent teeth
Resolve joint pain or bite problems caused by teeth shifting into missing tooth space
Restore a patient’s confident smile
Restore chewing, speech, and digestion
Restore or enhance facial tissues
Support a bridge or denture, making them more secure and comfortable
What Does Getting Dental Implants Involve?
The process of getting implants requires many visits over several months. X-rays and impressions (moulds) are taken of the jaw and teeth to determine bone, gum tissue, and spacing available for an implant. Occasionally a pre-implant surgical procedure is necessary to increase the amount of bone available. Where feasible, this can be done at the same time as implant placement, but sometimes it is best to wait for healing to occur. Either way, while the area is numb, the implant will be surgically placed into the bone and allowed to heal and integrate itself anywhere from 2-6 months.
After the initial phase of healing is complete, a minor surgical procedure is done to uncover the implant and a small healing cap is placed. This allows your gum tissue to adapt around your future new implant-supported crown, bridge, or denture. After several weeks of healing, a new impression is taken that is sent to a lab where the artificial teeth are made. When ready, the artificial teeth are securely attached to the implant, providing excellent stability and comfort to you as the patient. You will receive instructions when your treatment is completed on how to care for your new teeth. Good oral hygiene, eating habits, and regular dental visits will aid in the health and life of your new implant.
FAQ
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How Can Cosmetic Dentistry Help Improve the Appearance of My Smile?
If you’re feeling somewhat self-conscious about your teeth, or just want to improve your smile, cosmetic dental treatments may be the answer to a more beautiful, confident smile.
Cosmetic dentistry has become very popular in the last several years, not only due to the many advances in cosmetic dental procedures and materials available today, but also because patients are becoming more and more focussed on improving their overall health. This includes dental prevention and having a healthier, whiter, more radiant smile.
There are many cosmetic dental procedures available to improve your teeth and enhance your smile. Depending on your particular needs, cosmetic dental treatments can change your smile dramatically, from restoring a single tooth to having a full mouth make-over. Ask your dentist how you can improve the health and beauty of your smile with cosmetic dentistry.
Cosmetic Procedures
- Teeth whitening: Bleaching lightens teeth that have been stained or discoloured by age, food, drink, and smoking. Teeth darkened as a result of injury or taking certain medications can also be bleached, but the effectiveness depends on the degree of staining present.
- Composite (tooth-coloured) fillings: Also known as “bonding”, composite fillings are now widely used instead of amalgam (silver) fillings to repair teeth with cavities, and also to replace old defective fillings. Tooth-coloured fillings are also used to repair chipped, broken, or discoloured teeth. This type of filling is also very useful to fill in gaps and to protect sensitive, exposed root surfaces caused by gum recession.
- Porcelain veneers: Veneers are thin custom-made, tooth-coloured shells that are bonded onto the fronts of teeth to create a beautiful individual smile. They can help restore or camouflage damaged, discoloured, poorly shaped, or misaligned teeth. Unlike crowns, veneers require minimal tooth structure to be removed from the surface of the tooth.
- Porcelain crowns (caps): A crown is a tooth-coloured, custom-made covering that encases the entire tooth surface restoring it to its original shape and size. Crowns protect and strengthen teeth that cannot be restored with fillings or other types of restorations. They are ideal for teeth that have large, fractured, or broken fillings and also for those that are badly decayed.
- Dental implants: Dental implants are artificial roots that are surgically placed into the jaw to replace one or more missing teeth. Porcelain crowns, bridges, and dentures can be made specifically to fit and attach to implants, giving a patient a strong, stable, and durable solution to removable dental appliances.
- Orthodontics: Less visible and more effective brackets and wires are making straightening teeth with orthodontics much more appealing to adult patients. Also, in some cases, teeth may be straightened with custom-made, clear, removable aligners that require no braces.
Thanks to the advances in modern dentistry, cosmetic treatments can make a difference in making your smile shine!
Should You Replace Your Amalgam Fillings?
Metal was once the most commonly used dental material used to fill cavities and repair damage. However, amalgam fillings are less popular than they used to be for a variety of reasons. If you currently have fillings that contain amalgam, you may have been told you should have them removed and replaced with newer composites. The reality is, there are several important factors to consider before deciding which material to use.
How Oral Surgery is Used to Benefit Your Long-Term Oral Health
Ideal oral health involves making sure that teeth are not only healthy but that the surrounding structures in and around the mouth function correctly. Maxillofacial Surgery, more commonly known as oral surgery, focuses on treating many diseases, injuries, and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws, and hard and soft tissues of the mouth. Oral surgery is essential for addressing both the functional and aesthetic aspects of the areas listed above.
Understanding the Causes of Sleep Apnea
For some, snoring is merely an inconvenient late-night distraction. What many don’t realize, however, is that snoring may be an indication of a deeper health issue – sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a common disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts while a person sleeps. This condition can often go undiscovered for some time, but specific symptoms can indicate you may need to undergo a sleep study.
