Dr. Matthew Bridges and an implant specialist work together to provide patients with comprehensive and contemporary restorative services at his Duncan, OK, dentist office.

Not all tooth-replacement options are created equally, and each patient’s needs will require a solution that is tailored specifically to them. However, here are seven reasons why dental implants are considered to be a better long-term solution compared to other options (like traditional bridges and traditional dentures):

1. Permanence 

Dentists intend for dental implants to last for decades. In fact, implants can last a lifetime with proper dental home care, routine cleanings, and regular checkups. 

A dental bridge may only last ten years before it needs to be replaced. Dentures typically need to be relined every few years and replaced every five to ten years. 

2. High Success Rate 

One of the main reasons dental implants last so long is because they are biocompatible, meaning they will not produce a toxic or adverse response in the body. This contributes to the 98% success rate of dental implants. 

Other factors that contribute to the long-term success of dental implants include: 

• Age
• Bone quality and density
• Proper aftercare
• Proper daily care

3. Convenience

Dental implants naturally fuse to the jawbone through a process called osseointegration and do not require additional daily maintenance aside from brushing and flossing. Once completely healed, patients won’t even remember the implants are there. Implants also eliminate the need for denture adhesives or specialized cleaning solutions.

4. Comfort

Many patients complain that their dentures move while talking or eating. The instability of dentures can limit the foods that a patient feels comfortable eating and can affect their speech patterns. Implants are immobile, which means that chewing, speaking, and smiling can be done with comfort and confidence.

5. Better Oral Health

Tooth loss always results in deterioration of the jawbone. Prolonged jawbone deterioration can negatively affect the surrounding healthy teeth or even distort facial features. Dental implants reinforce the jawbone and prevent bone recession. 

Unlike dentures or bridgework, implants do not rely on the gum tissue or abutting teeth for support. Therefore, implants minimize the risk of damaging surrounding teeth, creating excessive plaque build-up, and causing irritation. Additionally, the hollow created by missing teeth can become susceptible to bacterial growth. An overgrowth of bacteria can lead to gum disease, thereby increasing the risk of stroke, diabetes, and heart attacks. A dental implant can help mitigate these risks. 

6. Aesthetics

During osseointegration, the jawbone rebuilds itself and restores the patient’s facial features. This also stops tooth movement and further tooth loss. Additionally, the restoration that a dentist affixes to the implant looks and acts like a normal tooth, making it almost indistinguishable from surrounding teeth. 

7. Improved Self Esteem 

According to Science Daily, tooth loss can lead to depression and anxiety. Dental implants offer a peace of mind that other fixtures may not provide. Dentures can be embarrassing to remove or easily lost. Traditional bridges and dentures can look noticeably different compared to surrounding teeth. Implants eliminate those factors, allowing you to smile with pride. 

Schedule a Dental Implant Consultation

Don’t let missing teeth impact your day-to-day life. If you’re ready to determine if dental implants are right for you, then it’s time to schedule an appointment with our Duncan, OK dentist.  Call Chisholm Trail Smile Center at (580) 255-4880 or contact us online to schedule your dental implant consultation.

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What Constitutes a Dental Emergency?

Dental emergencies cover a wide range of problems and injuries. What separates an emergency from a dental problem is the sudden onset of pain and risk to your health. Dental emergencies cannot wait to be treated. If you experience one of the following situations outside of our normal business hours, you will need to seek help at an emergency room or suitable health clinic. Dental emergencies can include:

• Traumatic injuries to your teeth or jaw
• The sudden onset of pain in or near your mouth
• A severely cracked or chipped tooth
• Tooth abscess
• Lost crown or filling

No matter what type of dental emergency you are experiencing, quick attention can increase the chances of saving your tooth and preventing further complications.

Tips For How to Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth

More than five million adults and children experience a knocked-out tooth every year in the United States. If your tooth has been knocked out, the first step is to try and place the tooth back into its original socket. Be careful not to touch the exposed root of the tooth. Pick up the tooth by its crown. Every precaution should be taken to not contaminate the root of the tooth. These steps will ensure that the tissue is not damaged and that the tooth does not become infected later on. While the tooth is in your mouth, take extra care to not swallow it.

If you are unable to hold the tooth in your socket, rinse it off with water and place it in a container of milk. Tap water is not a healthy way to preserve a knocked-out tooth. Placing the tooth in your mouth is another way to keep it moist while you travel to our dental clinic. You can use gauze or similar material to control bleeding from your tooth socket.

Your goal should be to see our office within 30 minutes after the accident. If your trip to our office takes longer, don’t lose hope. Some teeth have been reattached as long as an hour after the initial tooth loss. With proper attention and quick action, your tooth can be reattached at our office.

Catch Problems Before They Become Emergencies

If you have lost a tooth or experienced trauma to your mouth, time is of the essence. The single most important factor that will determine if your tooth can be saved is the time between your tooth loss and arrival at our Duncan, OK office. Dr. Bridges has the tools and expertise to immediately address your injury.

Many dental emergencies can be prevented with regular dental exams and cleanings. Small cavities, for example, can easily be cleaned and sealed before they develop into an advanced infection that requires tooth extraction or a root canal.

Visit Dr. Bridges at Chisholm Trail Smile Center in Duncan, OK before trauma strikes. As our patient, you’ll have access to a dentist who can treat and, more importantly, help you prevent dental emergencies. Call (580) 255-4880, or contact us online, to schedule your appointment today.

The post What Do I Do If My Tooth Is Knocked Out? appeared first on Chisholm Trail.

Dr. Matthew Bridges provides restorative dentistry and emergency appointments in our Duncan OK dental office. Call (580) 255-4880 today or make an appointment through our website.

Why You Shouldn’t Ignore a Toothache

If there’s one ultimate truth in dentistry, it’s that toothaches don’t get better on their own. Headaches? Yes. Sprained ankles? Yes. Even a case of food poisoning will work itself out if you give the body the rest and care it needs. Cavities are another story. Once a hole has formed in your tooth enamel, the body cannot repair that hole. After the teeth cut through the gums, there’s no way to “regrow” enamel. It may take many months, or even years, but eventually a cavity is going to get bigger and become more painful. Eventually, if too much of the tooth has been damaged, we may not be able to save it, and the only treatment will be a dental extraction.

There are other conditions besides tooth decay that can result in a toothache, of course. Gum recession can cause the roots to become sensitive, for example. A deep crack or fracture can also cause pain. However, even if there’s no cavity present, that doesn’t mean you won’t develop one. Cracks make teeth more vulnerable to decay. When left unrestored, they will only worsen until the tooth becomes too damaged, structurally, to be saved.

The Best Way to Prevent a Dental Extraction

If you have a problem tooth, the best way to prevent losing it is to seek help as early as possible. The sooner you bring us the tooth, the greater the odds we’ll be able to restore it with a filling, root canal treatment, or dental crown. Avoiding the problem will never make it “go away.”

When a cavity extends into the enamel, we can remove the bacteria and decayed tooth matter conservatively and apply a filling to restore the tooth’s structure. If you are already feeling pain, however, there’s a good chance the decay has reached the dentin or the pulp chamber. When a cavity extends into the pulp chamber, a root canal becomes necessary to prevent the infection from traveling to the bloodstream. If much of the upper portion of the tooth has been damaged, a dental crown can be applied to replace and protect the part of the tooth you see above the gum line.

If You Need a Dental Extraction

No one wants to lose a permanent tooth, but there are several ways to replace a tooth if a dental extraction is needed. It’s really not the end of the world—and dental extractions are fast and comfortable at Chisholm Trail Smile Center. Bridgework and dental implants can replace a missing tooth, so your smile and chewing power can stay intact.

Bring Us Your Toothaches

If you or a family member has a painful tooth, contact our Duncan OK office to make an appointment. We provide gentle laser dentistry that makes treatment lass traumatic, and offer sedation option for patients with dental anxiety. Call (580) 255-4880 today or make an appointment through our website.

The post Don’t Let a Toothache Turn into a Dental Extraction! appeared first on Chisholm Trail.

A dental implant is a fully functioning replacement for your tooth that does not affect the health of your other teeth. It will also last far longer than a bridge, and will usually require less maintenance. Beyond those benefits, a dental implant helps you preserve the structure and health of your jaw.

Have you lost a tooth? Whether you choose a bridge or single dental implant, it’s critical that you have the tooth replaced sooner rather than later. Call Chisholm Trail Smile Center for an appointment and we’ll explain your tooth replacement options. Contact us online or at 580-255-4880 for a Duncan and Velma, OK dentist.

Dental Bridge Vs. Implant and Crown

For years, the bridge and crown procedure was the standard way to replace one or more consecutive teeth. Using the teeth surrounding your gap, a bridge structure is created to hold a false tooth in place at the site of the missing tooth. The teeth on the ends are crowned, and a prosthetic tooth (or two) is connected to those crowns to replace the function of the tooth you lost. This one-piece construction looks natural and stabilizes the teeth, so they don’t shift toward the gap and upset your tooth alignment.

A dental bridge attaches to the teeth adjacent to your gap.

In recent decades, the single dental implant has replaced the dental bridge as the preferred treatment for a lost tooth. Why?  Dentists recommend implants because they last longer, don’t rely on the health of other teeth, and preserve bone mass in the jaw.

Benefits of an Implant and Crown

Whenever a tooth root is lost from the jaw, the body stops supporting the underlying bone beneath the teeth. Instead of sending vital minerals to continue building healthy bone mass in the jaw, the body sends them elsewhere. When you see someone who has worn dentures for many years, you notice a “shrunken” appearance to the jaw and chin. This is due to a process called jawbone resorption and it happens 100 percent of the time. It may occur slowly, over a period of a decade or more, but it is inevitable when teeth are lost.

One missing tooth may not affect your whole jaw, but it will initiate bone resorption at the site of your lost tooth. You want to avoid this, if at all possible. A dental bridge does not stop jawbone resorption, but a dental implant will.

Key Differences to Consider

As you consider tooth replacement options, these are the most significant differences you want to think about.

• A dental bridge lasts about 8-10 years; an implant usually lasts decades and rarely needs replacement.
• A dental bridge can be created and placed in weeks; an implant may take 3-6 months.
• A dental implant and crown requires a surgical procedure and a period of healing.
• Dental implants cost more than dental bridges.
• A bridge will remove much of the tooth enamel from the teeth adjacent to your gap.
• A bridge depends on the health of surrounding teeth. If one tooth fails, the whole bridge fails.

Which Tooth Replacement Option is Right for Me?

Ultimately, patients should make their own decisions about their oral health, so the choice is yours. If the higher cost discourages you from considering an implant, let us know. We hope you will give us the chance to contact your insurer to find out what amount is coverable.

At Chisholm Trail Smile Center, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to receive high-quality dental treatments at affordable prices. For this reason, we accept CareCredit payments and can provide you with an in-office payment plan and budget-friendly options.

If you are trying to decide between an implant and dental bridge, make an appointment at our Duncan, OK dental office and we’ll provide you with a written treatment plan for both options. Our patient care coordinator will help you determine how much will be covered by your insurer and consider payment options.

Are you considering dental implants Duncan, OK? Call us at 580-255-4880 for a consultation. Chisholm Trail Smile Center is your affordable high-quality provider when you need a Duncan, Rush Springs, or Velma, OK dentist.

The post Why Implants are Better for Single Tooth Replacement appeared first on Chisholm Trail.

If you are looking for a tooth replacement solution, you’ve probably had plenty of people give you their recommendations, not to mention seen endless options online. The good news is teeth can be replaced, but you shouldn’t delay the selection process too long. The sooner a tooth replacement solution is chosen, the sooner your smile can be restored and you can protect your oral health.

When complete tooth loss occurs in the upper and/or lower jaw, dentures provide a quick and affordable solution. Please continue reading to learn more. You can also schedule an appointment with Dr. Bridges at our Duncan, OK practice by contacting us online or calling (580) 255-4880.

Traditional Dentures vs. Implant Dentures

We offer traditional and implant denture at Chisholm Trail Smile Center. The type chosen will depend on your budget, timeline, and oral health. Traditional dentures rest directly on the gums and are held in place with suction and a dental adhesive. We offer full dentures for complete tooth loss, or can even fabricate a partial denture when tooth loss has occurred sporadically throughout the mouth. This prosthetic uses both gums and remaining teeth to hold the denture in place.

Implant dentures are supported by dental implants surgically inserted into the jawbone. These come at a higher price point and require a lengthier recovery period, but are longer-lasting. Because the implants function as former tooth roots, they help counteract bone degeneration and promote better jawbone health.

Selecting the Right Denture Teeth for You

We fabricate our dentures using DENTSPLY Trubyte teeth, the nation’s top-selling brand. We offer three price points in our office to fit our patient’s unique needs. The main difference between them is the materials used, but all three are customized to blend with the natural aesthetics of your smile so you can enjoy genuine results.

• Economy: Even if you’re on a tight budget, with Economy you can enjoy a great looking and reliable denture at an affordable price. This ultra value, classic denture uses Bioform teeth formulated from a synthetic resin and offers a wide selection of molds and shades, delivering aesthetically pleasing results.
• Deluxe: As the newest denture design from DENTSPLY, Deluxe offers a step up from Economy using TruExpression teeth. These teeth are formulated from MXL, providing high wear-resistance and realistic shade blending designed for both durability and realistic results.
• Premium: As the most lifelike, Premium offers the best in natural anatomy, using Portrait IPN, a unique blend of polymer combined with a special hybrid of monomer. This material most closely mimics natural tooth enamel, while also provides superior durability.

Need Dentures?

If you are looking for an affordable tooth replacement solution, please contact our Duncan, OK dental office to learn more about dentures. You can reach us online or by calling (580) 255-4880.

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